A Hostile Situation
by pink.hot.chocolate
Summary: Everyone has a problem. If only you could just escape. The cast of HSM does just that, but not in the way expected. Escpaing from one life only leads into another. Pairs: Troyella, Chaylor, Relsi, Zekepay. Very Chad and Troy centric.
1. Chapter 1

**A Hostile Situation**

**Chapter 1****: Escaping**

**Author's Note: Disclaimer: I don't in any way own HSM. I also do not own the song "You're Still There for Me" by VAnessa Hudgens. Okay, so this is the first chapter of my first fic so don't be too hard on me. Tell me what you think. I need criticism to improve but I don't need people trashing on my story because I worked hard on this. This chapter is just kind of a set up for the rest of the story so the plot won't really start until next chapter. Read on.**

"Bobby, why'd we have to get up so early?" a burly man groaned, rubbing his slightly bloodshot eyes as he followed the man named Bobby down a deserted street. Being November, the sun was barely visible at 6.00 a.m. and the man speaking was quite obviously not happy at being woken so early. His hangover was killing him. He barely even remembered the previous night and felt the need to have Bobby clarify.

"Because you dick head," the man Bobby growled, tired himself, "We have to open the stupid shop on time; we can't get in trouble today. We can't blow this, yet."

"How much longer do we need to work at this shit hole?" another man, slighter than the first asked in a slightly higher voice. He too addressed Bobby, who seemed to be the leader of the group.

"Today's the last day you morons," Bobby answered exasperatedly, inserting the tiny silver key into the glass door of Central Perk, the local coffee shop. He rubbed his temples wearily, evidently also working off a hangover, "Did any of you listen to me at all last night?"

"Yeah, I just can't remember today. I was so wasted last night I'm surprised I'm not still barfing," a different man, this one a short red head said, somewhat cheerily. He seemed able to take hangovers better than his associates and was at any length, the most awake of the bunch. "Tell me again, exactly what we're doing today."

"Today we are finally carrying out what we've been working out for the past two weeks, the reason we broke you two out of prison," he nodded at two of the more menacing looking men, "and the reason we took these fucking jobs at this fucking coffee shop.

"Where are Lou and Joe?" the first man asked, he was tall with shaggy blonde hair and had deep brown eyes. If he was fifteen years younger and wasn't still half drunk, he may have been kind of cute. Alas, he was middle aged, smelly, and in fact, still half drunk.

"They're getting the van and the truck. I guess I'll need to remind you idiots which car you'll be in. Lou is gonna drive the truck and Richie, Steve, and Hal you'll ride with him," Bobby nodded to the smaller of the convicts, the blonde man, and the high voiced man. The three looked slightly dejected, as if they would be missing out on some fun event, while the redhead and the larger convict seemed strangely happy to be car pooling in the van. Something big was about to happen. Bobby, fumbling with the keys in his huge hands, and talking all this time finally opened the door to an empty, dark room. There was a fireplace in the corner, looking cold and morose as it sat, serving no purpose this chilly November morn. Soon enough though, it was filled with warm, crackling embers and sparks as the suspicious men opened and readied the shop for the coming day.

"One more question, Bobby," the red haired man stated, flipping on the light switch in the back of the kitchen.

"Shoot," Bobby muttered, turning the thermostat up five degrees.

"How many do we want?"

"Uh," Bobby said, thinking it over. "No more than ten, but more than five." He pressed the button, activating the small machine. The vents began to emit cold air into the room, not having warmed up yet. He turned, and smiling about something that in no way could possibly be good, said, "Make sure we get girls as well as guys." And with the redhead snickering behind him, Bobby briskly walked through the blue swinging door and greeted the first bleary-eyed customer of the early morning.

---Troy---

Troy trumped slowly down the stairs, pulling his favorite green shirt over his head as he went. Still yawning, he entered his spectacularly clean kitchen to find his mother cleaning some invisible patch of filth. On the stove cooked some eggs and bacon, the aroma making Troy's mouth water. He sat down at the mahogany table and began tying the laces of his Nike tennis shoes. "Smells good," he croaked, his voice low and tired.

Troy had had a late night, roaming around with Chad, finding absolutely nothing to do besides hanging out at the old playground. They'd made each other sick on the merry-go-round, spinning each other so fast that Chad had actually fallen off. Next, they had a contest on the swings, which, Troy was able to proudly say he'd won. Smashing his face into the ground wasn't an excuse for Chad's forfeit. Anyway, Chad won the slide races, mainly because he'd pushed Troy off the top. It had been a rough night and both boys were bruised, but not permanently harmed.

"Do you have enough time to eat honey?" Lucy Bolton asked, looking up from the invisible spot she was still vigorously scrubbing, "You're father spilled orange juice all over this morning."

"Yeah, I don't have to be there for another half hour." Troy answered, grabbing the milk from the refrigerator. He paused, looking warily around, "Is dad still here?"

"Yes, he's just upstairs getting dressed." Lucy answered nonchalantly, taking the eggs and bacon off the stove and putting it on a plate for Troy. "Don't forget about you have practice today, okay sweet heart? You're father is very excited."

"Oh yeah, I completely forgot," Troy responded, while wolfing down his bacon. "Thanks, he would have killed me, not to mention Chad and Zeke."

"You're welcome honey. Now I've got to get going and I won't be able to make it to your game so I guess I'll see you later tonight. Bye," she quickly pecked him on the cheek and flew out the door, leaving Troy in the empty, silent kitchen behind her.

Troy downed his orange juice and cleaned his plate. He looked to the clack. It read 10.03. Good. He still had plenty of time to get to the coffee shop. He walked upstairs trying to remember where he had thrown his wallet. As he stretched under the bed, his finger tips barely brushing the brown leather, he thought about the upcoming day. He would go meet his friends and later go to his basketball game. He also thought of taking Gabriella out to see a movie or something. Maybe he would double with Chad and Taylor. He smiled to himself, already looking forward to the night ahead. He finally grabbed his wallet and was heading downstairs when he stopped dead in his tracks. At the bottom of the stairs was his father, smiling maniacally, daring Troy to come closer. Troy backed up slowly, refusing to take his eyes off his father, looking for some warning sign of what was to come.

"Troy," His father sneered, "You didn't put away you're gym bag like I asked you to," _Crap!_So this would be Jack's excuse today. This would be his justification, his way to say that Troy deserved what he was about to do to him. Troy thought of his options. He could run away and endure worse later or he could face it. He tried to take the easy way out, wishing it would work, just once. He bolted into his room and flung open the window. He heard Jack screaming and knew he had only seconds. He was in the process of climbing out when he spotted his keys on his desk. _Shit! _Troy stupidly decided to try to get his keys. Obviously, Jack was able to reach him before he was able to exit via window. Troy was sorry for his decision to get his keys, now realizing he could have gotten the keys later or probably caught a ride with Kelsi, who lived only two blocks away. Both of these options would have been far better, yet Troy hadn't had the time to think of these.

Troy was thrown against his bedroom wall, landing sideways on his bed. He let out an involuntary yelp as his father sent a punch to his head and instinctively put his arms up. This seemed to just anger Jack more and Troy was now thrown helplessly to the ground, where he was a prime target for Jack's foot. Troy bit his lip and closed his eyes, bracing himself. It wasn't enough. The sharp kick into his back sent him howling as loudly as he had the first time a kick similar to this had been injected into his side. Through the brimming tears in his eyes, he saw Jack's loathing glare, the black coals of eyes burning into Troy royal blue ones. The look of absolute hate hurt almost as much as the continuous kicks being sent into him from all around.

"Stop screaming Troy!" Jack screamed, "You're so weak! When will you learn? You're as stupid as you are weak!" he sent another kick, this one into Troy's head. Despite Jack's comments, Troy screamed and clutched his head, rolling into a tight ball. Jack pulled his foot back, poised to send another forceful kick. At that moment, the phone rang and Jack stopped, wondering what he should do. He made up his mind as the phone rang for the second time and exited Troy's bedroom, growling "Don't move," as he slammed the door behind him. As if Troy would listen to him. The moment the door was closed, Troy sprang up and stealthily climbed out the window, keys in pocket.

Troy ran to his car and quietly opened the door, looking into the kitchen window to see if his father was still occupied. His father was still on the phone, sending glances at the ceiling and at the next door neighbor's home. _Shit._ Troy guessed that his neighbors had heard him again and took no hesitation in quickly driving away from his home.

He let the tears flow freely, hoping this would be the last time today he'd have to go through this. His wishes were in vain and he knew it. He had a basketball practice later and he knew Jack would find some moment to at least punch him. Ever since the trial, six days ago, his father was worse than ever, with good reason. Chad had told the police that Jack had committed "child abuse" and it got all the way to court. Troy refused to testify against Jack so the case was eventually dropped, but not before it reached the paper. There wasn't enough news so they had posted the trial on the front page and now the entire city knew all about it. Not that many actually thought good old Coach Bolton would do something like that, most came to the conclusion that Chad had been bored or looking for trouble and that he'd made the whole thing up.

Troy couldn't fully explain why he'd let his father off the hook, when he'd been so close to freedom, but he knew he couldn't do that to his father, his flesh and blood. Yet, not a moment went by that Troy didn't wish he could just escape entirely. Escape his father. His pain. His life.

---Chad---

Chad blinked as he opened his front door, revealing the bright light of winter. It was a beautiful morning and Chad yawned loudly, stretching his shoulders over his head. He dimly recalled the previous night. He and Troy had played on the old playground. He remembered falling off the merry-go-round and looked down to his shin to see the bruise. Next, they'd had a swing contest, which Chad won because he did the best face plant. Lastly, he'd won the slide race because Troy had mysteriously fallen off. Chad laughed at the memory.

At a slight noise, Chad became suddenly tense and alert. He looked around his empty, worn down neighborhood, at the figure at the end of his street. He knew just from the outline exactly who it was and he patted his back pocket for reassurance, yet at the same time, he hoped it wouldn't come to that. The figure drew nearer and Chad thought of his options: he could run like a coward or stay and face him. He chose option number two mainly because the figure was alone and was therefore, no longer a threat. The figure stopped about 5 feet away, and for a moment, he and Chad just stared.

"Danforth," he nodded towards Chad.

"Wilhelm," Chad returned coolly, refusing to break eye contact.

"You scared?" Rob Wilhelm sneered.

"Of what?" Chad asked, genuinely confused. Rob knew Chad could easily take him and usually win. Just then, two of Rob's cronies stepped out from behind the nearby tree, where Chad would never have noticed. Three against one, Chad still wasn't nervous.

"Numbers," Rob evil smile curled back slightly on his teeth as two more cronies appeared. Chad had to admit that rob had planned the art of this meeting very well. A little more nervous, Chad decided to try his favorite tactic in this situation: egging the opponent on until they are too thoroughly disheveled and using that opportunity to make a run for it. As you can tell, Chad had been in this situation many times before.

"Numbers?" Chad asked, playing dumb, "What numbers? The only numbers I can think of were from last night's game. Those numbers did scare me. I've never seen a game like that in my life. 77 to 28. That was probably the most drastic difference of scores in the history of basketball. I am ashamed to have defeated you so brutally."

"Shut up, Danforth," Rob muttered, turning red.

"Wow. Good come back. That hurt. But I don't think it could have hurt nearly as much as the pain of defeat last night." Chad responded, seeing he was successfully getting under Rob's skin.

"I said shut up!" Rob yelled.

"Ow! It hurts! How in the world do you come up with those? They are so clever," Chad chided, noticing the band of boys discreetly advancing upon him."

"You think you're so great," Rob scoffed.

"I am," Chad said in a 'duh' tone as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You'd be nothing without Bolton; he scored, like, all of your points." Rob smirked, now steadily and obviously moving in for the attack. Chad knew he had little time.

"Who may I ask gives him the ball? Who is it that stole the ball from you every time you touched it?" He would have to run soon, he could see the fire in Rob's eyes as they advanced even further.

"What do you have to be so cocky about?" Rob asked, looking as if he were about to unleash some horrible monster on Chad. "Dad gone, poor family, stupid hair…"

"Now wait," Chad interrupted, "My hair is awesome and everyone knows it. You're just jealous that you couldn't pull it off as handsomely as I do. I know I am awesomely awesome but you need to get over you're man crush on me, I'm taken."

"By that geeky slut?"

"Fuck you. Taylor's is a kazillion times better than that hooker you've got," Chad knew this was it. He would have to make a break for it now. He turned to run but slammed into the biggest of Rob's gang, who quickly grabbed him and threw him to the ground. _Shit! _Six against one was not good. Chad paid dearly for his jabs at Rob as he usually did. Only when Mr. Gucci threatened to call the police did Rob and his "friends" leave him alone in the middle of the street, wishing there was just some way to escape his ultra crappy life.

---Gabriella---

Gabriella woke to the sound of "You're Still There for Me" blaring from her alarm clock/radio. She quickly rose, knowing she only had about half an hour till she had to meet her friends at their favorite hangout, Central Perk coffee shop. She pulled on a light blue shirt over a white, frilly camisole. She wore a pair of blue jeans and a pair of stylish snow boots, anticipating, another chilly day.

She entered her cozy little kitchen five minutes later and sat opposite her mother who had already fixed Gabriella's breakfast and who was looking very excited. "What's up mom?"

"Eat first and then I'll tell you," Maria gestured to the food on the table.

"Okay…" Gabriella said, wondering what was going on. A few minutes of suspending silence and Gabriella finished and again asked, "So what's up?"

"Okay, Gabi, I know you're birthday isn't for another ten days but, I knew you didn't have anything to read so I couldn't wait any longer, so here!" Maria Montez pulled out a very well wrapped rectangular gift and pushed it towards Gabriella.

"Thanks Mom," Gabriella said enthusiastically. When she saw what it was, she squealed with delight, "Oh my gosh! Little Women! I've been wanting to read this!"

"I know," Maria Montez beamed at the ecstatic look on her daughter's face. "I read it when I was your age and it's still one of my favorites."

"I'm going to start it when I get home. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love you mom! I'm so excited I can't wait." Gabriella was almost shaking with delight.

"You're going to have to," Maria pointed out, "You're going to be late."

"Oh! Whoops. I guess I should get going. Thanks for breakfast. See you later. Thanks again!" and with that, Gabriella Montez was out the door, not knowing that she wouldn't be seeing her mother for a very very long time afterwards.

---Taylor---

"Thanks for giving me a ride Taylor," Sharpay said gratefully as the two girls drove away from the Evans manor.

"No problem. Where's Ryan?" Taylor inquired. Wondering why Sharpay's twin brother couldn't drive when he was going to the same place anyway.

"He didn't want to wait for me," Sharpay replied, "I told him to give me five more minutes for my makeup. He didn't answer and I saw his car drive away like, two minutes later. I guess he wanted to be alone with _Kelsi_." She ended her sentence with a hint of annoyance.

"What's wrong with that?" Taylor asked, genuinely surprised at Sharpay's bitterness towards Kelsi and Ryan's relationship.

"It's just," Sharpay thought, trying to pick out the right words, "It's kind of annoying. This sort of thing keeps happening and it leaves me on the outside, having to fend for myself. He never stops talking about her and he keeps ditching me like this for her. Like I said it's just kind of annoying."

"I can see that. But you have to admit it is cute," Taylor giggled, remembering how she'd been the one to set them up in the first place, "Maybe you should just talk to him about it or something, he isn't trying to be mean, he's just crazy in love," She giggled again.

"I guess," Sharpay sighed, knowing Taylor was right as always, "I like your top."

"Thanks," Taylor automatically looked down at her red and white striped shirt, "It's yours."

"Why you little bitch!" Sharpay joked, pinching Taylor on the arm, "You stole my shirt!"

"I didn't _steal _it," Taylor kidded, "I just took it from your room without your permission. What was I supposed to do? Just let it sit in your closet, unworn when it would look so much better on me?"

"Give it back," Sharpay playfully tugged on the sleeve.

"Yeah, let me just take it off right now," Taylor said sarcastically, rolling her eyes, "Don't worry, I'll give it back, after a few uses."

"You bitch," was all Sharpay could say, laughing and shaking her head.

"We're here," Taylor sang, pulling into the last open spot in the lot, "There's Gabriella and Zeke. Let's go. You'll get your shirt back later."

"I'm still not finished with you shirt thief," Sharpay muttered, following Taylor out of the car and towards Zeke and Gabi.

"Shirt thief, is that the best you can come up with?"

"Yes!" Sharpay said triumphantly, as if she had won a great battle. "Hey guys." And with that, the conversation was officially over in Sharpay's book.

"Where is everyone else?" Taylor asked looking around for the four missing members of their party.

"I don't know," Gabriella answered, "Zeke gave me a ride."

"Here we are!" Ryan said, striding over to them, hand in hand with Kelsi.

"Cool, but where are Chad and Troy?" Zeke wondered aloud.

"I don't know," Ryan answered, "But they should be here soon." The six teens waited outside the coffee shop, huddling together to keep warm, wondering what was causing their two friends to be so late.

---

**So what did you think? It wasn't a very exciting first chapter but I had to build up a few of the characters lives a bit. I don't think all of the chapters will be quite this long, but I don't know yet. Cookies for anyone who guesses where I got the name of the coffe shop. Review please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n: Okay.**** So here begins the plot. This story isn't very realistic. I know. I just have a sick type of fu****n writing this kind of stuff. I****f ****it was real, I wouldn't be able to fit humor into it, and I like humor. So read my unrealistic/humorous/tragic/angsty fic.**

**Chapter 2: A Lovely Saturday Morning **

---Chad---

"Are they ever going to get here?" Ryan complained, rubbing his arms to keep the feeling in them in the cold as well as hugging Kelsi to keep her warm.

"Seriously," Zeke chimed, "Why are they so late?"

"I'll call Chad," Taylor pulled out her phone and dialed the number she had long ago memorized.

"No need! The party has arrived!" Chad bounded cheerfully up to the group.

"What took you so long?"

"Where's Troy?"

"Right here!" Troy joined the party only a moment later, sounding just as chipper as Chad.

"Where have you two been?" Sharpay scolded sharply, her perfect teeth chattering in her clenched mouth. "It's freezing out here!"

"Yeah, sorry," Troy apologized for the both of them. Just then, he noticed a bruise swelling on Chad's left cheek and assumed the worst. "We just got caught up with something."

"What could you have made you two thirty minutes late?" Gabriella asked, sensing something was wrong.

"Uhhhh…" Troy tried to think of some excuse but could come up with nothing. He looked at Chad imploringly, begging him to help.

"Yeah, we were just fooling around," Chad piped in. He also noticed a slight bruise on Troy's neck and, also, understood immediately. "We were… throwing a basketball at each other. We hit each other pretty hard so we were just getting some ice when we noticed what time it was. We got here as fast as we could." You would think this was a stupid lie, but in fact, that very same thing had only happened last week and it was the only explanation Chad could think of.

"Is that how you got that bruise?" Taylor asked, also noticing the purple spot on Chad's face.

"Yup. Now let's go inside 'cause I'm cold."

"Oh _you're_ cold," Sharpay spat. "Well then, we must go in for King Chad."

"That's Princess Chad to you," Chad retorted. Sharpay smiled in spite of herself and walked in, followed by five of the other freezing teens. Troy stopped Chad before he entered saying,

"Was it Rob?"

"Was it your father?"

"I asked you first."

"Like I care."

"Fine. Yes. Your turn."

"Yes. Why do you let him do that to you?"

"Why do you let Rob get to you?"

"He doesn't. I get to him and then his ugly trolls get me for it."

"If you'd just shut up, they might stop."

"One, no, they wouldn't. Two, it's more fun when he's mad. Lets me know I won. Three, he made fun of the 'fro."

"Not the 'fro," Troy exclaimed dramatically, clapping a hand to his mouth.

"Yes. Now onto you. Why didn't you just let him go to jail? He could have been locked up and not beating you this lovely Saturday morning."

"I told you. I can't do that to him. I know what you're going to say," He said, eyeing Chad's open mouth, "You're going to say he's a bastard, and he would deserve it." Chad closed his mouth, defeated. "But he's still my dad, Chad. I owe him something. I can't do that. Not now."

"When?" Chad asked furiously thinking of the man he so dearly hated. "Next time you're in the hospital with a concussion and a broken rib? Next time I find you passed out on the floor? Next time you cough up blood?"

"I don't know!" Troy spat. "Can we just drop it for now?"

"Fine, for now."

"You want to stay at my house tonight. You know, get away from Rob?"

"Under the same roof as the man who would like nothing more than to kill me right now? I think I'll take my chances with young Robert. You can come to my place if you want though. You know, get away from abusive father Bolton."

Troy laughed and said, "Fine. I'll come after my date with Gabriella. You wanna bring Taylor? We could go see that movie they've been hinting about for like, two weeks."

"Two weeks?" Chad joked. "Try five." He made a face. "Ugh. That chick flick love story? We have to watch it? Fine, but only if I can throw popcorn at the screen during the gushy parts."

"I don't know if Tay will go for it, but I'm in."

"Cool. Now let's go in there and pretend like our lives are perfect," Chad motioned for Troy to follow as he swung the door wide open for dramatic effect. It made a loud banging noise to which many people looked up at, sunlight poured in behind, Chad's silhouette glowing radiantly. Taylor called him over and he and Troy took the last two open chairs. Chad put on a very girly voice and asked, "So what's the latest gossip?"

---Ryan---

"Yesterday Jason asked me to go to his party and I told him I would think about it," Kelsi said, Ryan glared at her, silently asking her why they were still talking about this. "They all say I shouldn't go but I want to see if anyone is for the positive."

"You're not actually thinking about going?" Ryan asked, his temper flaring. "He's your_ ex_-boyfriend, why do you want to go to his stupid party?"

"I was going to ask you to come with me so we could crash it or something, but since you wouldn't even let me explain, maybe I won't invite you. Chad would be a better crashing buddy anyway."

In response Chad stood up, looking around for any young ears. Finding none, he belted, "JASON IS A FAT ASS BASTARD WHOSE PARTY I AM GOING TO CRASH TOMORROW NIGHT! WOHOOOOO!!"

"Shut up or else you're out of here!" a deep voice called from the back. Chad shrugged and sat down, still getting many weirded out stares from the other fifteen or so people in the café. His friends laughed appreciatively at him as he cleared his throat and calmly asked, "So what time is the party?"

"7.00," Kelsi giggled. She then sobered up as she saw the hurt expression on Ryan's face. "Ryan, can you please just tell me why you don't want me to go?"

"I just don't want him to hurt you again," Ryan responded quietly, gazing into Kelsi's soft green eyes. "I found the porno and I can't let him hurt you anymore."

"Why are you so jealous of him that I can't go within a twenty foot radius? It's not like I would go try to get back _together_ with him or something. I just want to get back _at_ him."

"I am jealous," Ryan whispered softly into Kelsi's ear. By this time, everyone else had broken into different conversations, giving the two their privacy. "I'm jealous, because I'm so madly in love with you. I can't let anyone hurt you. It would kill me. I can't help it." He leaned in and kissed Kelsi tenderly. The kiss lasted for only a moment but they were both glowing when they separated. They then quickly rejoined the other conversation.

"Are we going to get anything to drink or what?" Zeke questioned, looking around at the others. At nods from the rest of the gang, he stood up and took the orders. Troy, Chad, and Ryan followed him to the front counter where they ordered the eight drinks. The cashier was a burly, dark-looking man who never stopped glaring at them. The boys, a bit embarrassed by the hate this man was extending towards them, walked away as quickly as possible, each throwing back a wary glance at the still scowling man.

"What took so long?" Sharpay asked, greedily taking a sip of her steaming mocha latte. "It took like, forever for the drinks to be ready."

"I know," Taylor added. "Have they always made the drinks in the back room like that? I thought the machine was normally out front."

"Yeah. I'm positive it was near the counter last time," Gabriella recalled.

"What about those mean looking men at the counter?" Kelsi remarked.

"Yeah, I've never seen any of them working here before," Ryan, the most frequent customer of the coffee shop, chimed in. "And I was here just last weekend."

"Does anyone else's drink taste weird?" Chad asked, looking revolted at his own coffee.

"I don't know, maybe it's low fat or something," Gabriella guessed.

"Eww! I don't want it anymore." Chad pushed his drink away like a three year old. This made Troy chuckle, as he took another sip of his own drink.

"Why does that cashier keep staring at us?" Taylor asked, stealing glances at the dark looking man whose intense stare didn't waver in the slightest. He looked like he was expecting the kids to blow up or something, and it was unnerving Taylor a bit.

"He's probably hoping to throw Chad out," Troy joked.

"Who could blame him?" Chad asked casually, taking another swig of his coffee, despite the taste. "I'm extremely annoying."

"Here's to that," Ryan raised his own drink as if in toast. He was met by a very half-hearted 'hear, hear'. Everyone seemed to suddenly get very drowsy. To solve this dilemma, they all downed their caffeinated drinks, but this seemed to make things only worse. Soon conversation stopped completely, everyone just sitting like a bunch of vegetables.

Troy slowly raised his head and was able to say, "What…", before he was interrupted by a gunshot. All around him, he was able to hear screaming, but his own mind wasn't able to comprehend the fear those around him were exhibiting. He saw a huge mass of people rush to the door, all pushing to get out first. No one seemed to notice or care that eight teenagers hadn't moved a muscle. The last to move towards the door was the cashier, but instead of leaving, he locked it, barricading all eight teenagers and eight strange men inside.

---Chad---

What the hell was going on? Chad couldn't figure out what was happening but instinct told him that he should run. The only problem was that he couldn't seem to move his feet. He was completely paralyzed. He could hardly even keep his eyes open. He told himself he had to, because pure instinct was telling him that something was very wrong. Suddenly, a rough pair of hands grabbed him around the midsection and threw him over his huge shoulder. Chad wanted to yell out or even kick this freakishly strong man, but he was completely defenseless. His mind was at a loss to figure out what was happening, but as he was being carried through the back of the kitchen, he felt a strange tingling in his limbs. He realized he was able to flex his fingers.

Chad knew he had to act fast so the moment he could move his entire leg, he sent a sharp kick into a certain area, causing the man to drop Chad onto the ground, just outside the kitchen's back door. Chad tried to get up, but he still couldn't move very well. He saw the man get up and tried to crawl away, but soon the man had grabbed him and was trying to drag him the opposite way. Chad was starting to understand what was going on and knew he could not let this man get him away from the shop. He sent another kick but this time the man was ready and caught his foot in the air. Chad tried to wriggle out but the man had a very firm grasp and was again dragging him away from the coffee shop.

Chad saw a telephone post and immediately grabbed on to it. The man pulled him by his feet and soon Chad was a foot off the ground, hanging on with all his might. Another man came out of nowhere and peeled Chad's hands off. Chad fell to the ground, the gravel digging into his side. He yelled out and tried to get up, but the same pair of strong, rough hands held him to the ground while a different person stuck a needle into Chad's neck. His eyes widened as his world suddenly went black.

---Troy---

Troy heard the screaming. He saw flashing movements of darkness and light. He felt himself land on the gravel. He turned his head slightly and saw a huge shape that he guessed to be a car. He was laying in the back lot of the coffee shop, immobile and very confused. Soon, after the screaming all around him stopped, he saw Chad being thrown roughly into the car. Next, he was picked up and was about to be tossed in as well when he acted. It was complete impulse. He had no idea what he was doing, why he was doing it or how he was doing it. The drugs seemed to be ineffective now. He spun out of the grasp of the man holding him and fell to the ground. He scrambled up and tried to run. He stopped when he saw another man carrying Gabriella. He veered his course and instead of running away to safety, he charged at this man.

He caught the man by surprise and he dropped Gabriella. She seemed to be unconscious, because she didn't make a single sound as she hit the gravel. _Shit! _Troy hoped he hadn't hurt Gabriella and tried to get her away from this place. He didn't get her very far, only about four feet before two men came at him. Troy, still pumped on adrenaline, tried to get Gabriella away while fighting them off. He soon realized he couldn't do both. With two very angry and very strong men coming at him, and a very unhelpful, unconscious Gabriella in his arms, Troy had to make a choice. He could try and get Gabriella away from whatever the hell was happening here and probably get sucked into it himself, or he could drop Gabriella and try to go get help by himself.

The second would have been wiser, but Troy couldn't bear to leave Gabriella here while she was so vulnerable. So he tried to be noble and save her. He faced the two men bravely, trying to think of something that would save them both. He didn't have too long to think because a man, unknowing to Troy, came up behind him and soon held Troy in a powerful headlock. Troy couldn't breathe. He was gasping for air and clawing at the man's huge, hairy arms, but it was useless. He soon stopped fighting altogether, but that was when the man released him.

Troy lay on the ground, looking up at the man with an almost pleading look, but the ruthless crook took no mercy and before Troy could do anything, he had grabbed him again. Troy tried to struggle one last time, but half heartedly. He was starting to close his eyes anyway when he felt a sharp prick in his neck, and the world swam around him before it disappeared altogether.

---Taylor---

Taylor was being carried out the back door of the coffee shop by a red headed man. The drugs were wearing off. He thought she was asleep and paid little attention to her as she began to process her surroundings. She had always heard about these kinds of situations but she had never actually thought she would be in one. She knew if this man got her into the van he was carrying her to, there would be almost no chance of a later escape. She had just heard Chad's demise and she was about to witness Troy's downfall.

After Troy fell before her eyes, she knew she wouldn't be able to get away from these people. She thought of the people who were previously in the coffee shop and she hoped they were nearby. She knew there was only one thing she could do. She did it. Loudly. She screamed for as long and as loudly as she could. The red head was startled at first, but quickly quieted her. The last thing Taylor saw was the evil man glaring down at her before her world went black.

---Kelsi---

Kelsi didn't move. She didn't open her eyes or make any noise. She hardly dared to even breathe. She was petrified. She couldn't understand what was happening to them or why. She only knew that if she was caught awake, they would knock her out like her friends. She decided to open her eyes a bit and squinted to see where she was. She was on the floor of a spacious van. There was along bench connected to both sides of the van and a screen separating the front from the back. With her were Troy, Chad, Taylor, and Gabriella, all unconscious. She looked towards the doors and saw a man coming closer with Sharpay. She had heard everything that had happened so far.

She had been basically been asleep in the coffee shop and had awoken here, when Chad had started yelling. She didn't know what to do. If her friends couldn't win against these guys, then how could she possibly do anything? Chad had tried to fight, Troy had tried to run, and Taylor had tried to scream. None of them had succeeded in getting to safety or getting any kind of help. Now, she was trapped.

The man holding Sharpay neared and Kelsi closed her eyes again. She felt him place Sharpay on her legs and cringed as her feet bent in an uncomfortable twist beneath Sharpay. Unfortunately, the man noticed her and called to one of his comrades and soon two men were coming towards her. She knew she had no chance but she tried to scramble up and out. She fell out of the van and somersaulted onto the ground. One of the men grabbed her by the hair and pulled. This is when she pulled a Taylor and started screaming. Just as with Taylor, they soon stuck the needle into her neck and she fell into the same, unnatural sleep that all of her friends were now in.

All eight teenagers were loaded in along with four men. They drove out the back gate followed by a beat up red truck. The crowd gathering in the front of the coffee shop hadn't even thought to go to the back lot and by the time police had arrived, they were gone. This was a very hostile situation.

**A/n****: Sorry for the ultra long update period. I hope I won't take this long for every chapter but I might. Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**** Yeah. So here's the 3****rd**** chapter. I like to do everyone's point of view so that you can get the whole story. It will mainly be the teenagers but I'm also going to show their families and even the kidnappers once in awhile. So read on.**

**Chapter 3: Staying**

---Jack---

Jack Bolton was driving ten miles over the speed limit. Trees and pavement zoomed by more quickly than legally allowed. Jack, fuming and very red in the face could not have cared less. How dare Troy leave when Jack had specifically told him not to! The little bastard would be punished for his disobedience. All Jack had to do was find him. He had called Lucy to see if she knew where he was and she had said that he was meeting his friends at that stupid coffee shop that they always went to. He would just grab Troy and bring him home to continue their "conversation" there.

Jack pulled into the crowded parking lot to find a huge mob of people gathered around five flustered police officers. All Jack could think was 'what did Chad and Troy do now?' He found a spot next to a car that he recognized to belong to the Evans twins'. He got out slowly, looking around for the tall form of Troy or any of his friends. Not spotting any of them, he walked over to one of the police officers to ask what was going on.

"Calm down folks. We'll get to the bottom of this. If you have any more information then please tell us," A young officer addressed the crowd.

"What's going on?" Jack muttered to one of the nervous people in the crowd.

"There was a shooting and eight kids were taken hostage," the man muttered replied.

"Who?" Jack asked, dreading the answer.

"They don't know who had the gun or who took the kids," the man responded stupidly.

"No. I mean who did they take?" Jack asked, getting very irritated.

"I don't know. I don't think the police have figured it out yet."

"Thanks," Jack muttered as he turned around and strode away. He walked over to a mustached officer and asked, "Do you know any of the names of the kids who were taken?"

"No sir. We would appreciate any information you may have though." The policeman told him unhelpfully.

"No one saw what the kids looked like? No one recognized any of them?" Jack said dubiously.

"They are local kids. About 16 or 17 years old. The witnesses said they were very loud and rambunctious. Screaming about some kid named Jason."

"Jason Cross?" Jack interrupted.

"I don't know sir. The witnesses also said they were four attractive girls and four good looking boys."

"Nothing special appearance-wise," Jack probed.

"Some of the people recognized a few of the boys from some basketball games."

"Anyone say anything about Hispanics or afros or something."

"How did you know that sir?" The policeman asked, suddenly more interested.

"Jesus Christ." Was all Jack could say, running a hand over his face, knowing his fear was, in fact, a reality.

"Do you know anything sir?"

"Yeah. I'm guessing on half the names but I think the kids are Troy Bolton, Chad Danforth, Gabriella Montez, Taylor McKessie, Zeke Baylor, Ryan and Sharpay Evans and… How many kids did you say?"

"Eight sir."

"And… I'm guessing Kelsi Neilson," Jack finished. He had to know all of his students' names and Troy had those brats over at the house all the time. It was very irritating and most of the time he set them all home.

Jack loved how intimidating he was to those little bastards. God, he hated them! Especially Chad. He wished he could kick him off the team but he hated to lose slightly more than he hated Chad. How dare that stupid ass kid try and sell him out to the police! Jack wished he could pound the shit out of Chad but he would run and tell the cops again so Jack wasn't going to risk it. Chad wouldn't be quiet like Troy was. That was one thing he liked about Troy. He was obedient. Which was more than he could say for a lot of his friends.

Jack looked at the policeman who had written all the names down and smiled grimly, "I have to call my wife now."

"Thank you sir," The officer said. Jack then walked back to his car dreading the conversation he would be having with Lucy. He pulled out his cell phone as he got into his car. A moment later Lucy's voice arose from the speaker.

"Hello? Jack?"

"Lucy, I have some bad news. Where are you?" Jack asked, keeping his voice level.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked, worry lining her voice.

"Meet me at the police station."

"The police station? What's going on Jack?" Lucy asked, getting frantic.

"Lucy calm down. I'll tell you when we get there."

"Jack, tell me what's going on," the shaky voice of Lucy Bolton commanded.

"I need to tell you face to face Lucy; just trust me and meet me at the police station as soon as possible."

"Fine, Jack, I'll see you soon. I love you."

"I love you too Lucy. I'll see you soon." Jack closed his phone and sighed. This ordeal was sure to sever the few ties he and his wife hadn't already strained. They were both always busy. Lucy had suggested marriage counseling, but neither of them ever made it to the appointments. Jack didn't know what to do, but he knew he couldn't do this for much longer. Jack pulled up to the police station where he spotted Hannah Danforth's car, and slowly got out of his own car.

He walked through the front doors and in the lobby sited Hannah Danforth, Maria Montez, and Kevin Baylor. They looked up upon his entrance and smiled grimly, the two women's cheeks glistening from previously spilled tears.

"Jack," Kevin greeted him, "The police called us. The others will be here soon enough. Where's Lucy?"

"She's on her way," Jack responded somberly as Mr. and Mrs. Evans walked in. Cecily wasn't crying, but she looked close to it. Daniel had his arm around her and was whispering consolingly into her ear. They both looked up as they entered and, seeing them, smiled miserably. A few minutes later, the Neilsons entered closely followed by the McKessies. No one talked much. Everyone just sat in a veggie like silence. About ten minutes, Lucy pulled up and Jack rushed out to meet her.

She stopped when she saw him. Then, she rushed quickly up to him and they stood, held in each other's arms, for what seemed like eternity. Lucy looked up at him and whispered, "What happened?"

"Lucy," Jack began, not knowing how to tell her without scaring her. He figured this was impossible and said, "Troy's been kidnapped. He and all of his friends were taken from the coffee house about one hour ago. The police have no leads yet. I'm sorry." He said this all very quickly; to delay Lucy's anticipated reaction.

"What?!" Lucy shrieked, pulling away from him, "What do you mean he was kidnapped? I saw him this morning. He was in the kitchen and I was cleaning up the orange juice. He went to the coffee shop. The coffee shop! People don't get kidnapped in coffee shops!" she kept babbling as Jack held her, "Did I tell him I loved him this morning? Did I kiss him goodbye? I can't remember Jack! I can't remember! Did I kiss him? Why didn't I spend more time with him this morning?! Oh my God Jack! Where is he? Where is my baby? Why would they take him? Why? Why, God, why? Oh my God," she began to sob, Jack whispering consolingly as Daniel had done for Cecily.

"It'll be okay Lucy. We'll get him back. He'll be back soon,"

"You don't know that! What if… What if… Oh god, Jack! What if…" She kept heaving great sobs every time she tried to finish her sentence. She simply couldn't get the words out. She couldn't bear to think of what she was trying to say. She couldn't talk anymore and so, Jack sat her down next to him on the front steps of the police station, letting her calm down until she finally stopped sobbing.

"Jack," the voice of Arthur McKessie floated down to them from the top step, "There's an officer about to talk to us if you wanted to come up." Jack nodded as he helped Lucy, who was still crying quietly, up the steps and back to the front lobby.

"Are all the parents here now?" a gaunt policeman asked, looking at all the despaired faces. At a few nods he proceeded. "Okay. I'm sorry I don't have much to tell you. There were quite a few witnesses that said the workers in the restaurant are the ones who kidnapped your children. Apparently they were all in it. About two weeks, there was a mass replacement of about eight employees; these replacements are the ones who took your children. We have detailed descriptions of about five of them. We've identified two of the men. They are the two convicts who broke out of jail about two weeks ago," he was interrupted by Ann Neilson, who whimpered,

"Why'd they go to jail?"

"Kidnapping," the officer said grimly, "We are trying to figure out who the others are and where they have gone but we've come up with very little so far," he was interrupted again, this time by Jack who angrily yelled,

"How can you have nothing? There aren't any fingerprints or anything? These people were hired with false names and no prior experience?! This is ridiculous! There were twenty witnesses and none of them could help you at all?" Lucy grabbed his arm, and gently tugged him, silently urging him to let the officer explain. Jack obliged and quieted down while the policeman continued.

"I'm sorry, sir," he looked imploringly at Jack, "We found a bit of blood in the back lot," at gasps from the women he amended, "Not that much. Nothing serious. Looks as if they were cut on the gravel. We've concluded that they exited in the back and headed south."

"The blood," Maria Montez asked, "Who's…"

"Again, there wasn't a lot of blood. We found a little from Troy Bolton, Gabriela Montez, and Chad Danforth. We also found a few strands of Kelsi Nielson's hair."

"My poor boy! What are they doing to them?" Lucy exclaimed, beginning her sob session again.

"We will have more information for you soon," the officer quickly exited the scene, embarrassed by what his words had resulted in. An awkward silence followed, interrupted by random sobs from a few of the women. Jack sat, completely stoical, staring straight ahead at the opposite wall. Knowing there was no further use being here, the room eventually cleared out, leaving Jack and Lucy alone.

"Come on Lucy, lets get going," Jack nudged her gently, pulling her up as he stood. She let herself get carried out, still weeping quietly. Jack realized that they had brought two cars, and he knew Lucy was in no condition to drive. He spotted the McKessies getting into their car and quickened his pace. "Arthur, could you possibly help us and drive one of our cars back to my house. I don't want Lucy driving and I don't want to leave the car to get towed."

"No problem, Jack," Arthur responded, nodding towards Lucy, "It'll be okay, Lucy. We'll find them. Alexandra, could you follow us? I'll meet you there."

"Sure. I'll see you soon," Taylor's mother answered, scooting over to the driver's seat and turned the inserted key.

A few minutes later, the Boltons and the McKessies pulled up into the driveway. Jack thanked them again as they parted ways. As Arthur and Alexandra drove away, Jack and Lucy settled into their living room, not quite knowing what to do. They just sat, trying not to think about the horrors that entered their minds. Jack, not truly caring what happened to his son, was putting on a fantastic show. Troy obviously got his acting skills from Jack. For all Jack cared, Troy could never come back.

After awhile, his resentment towards Troy was threatening to burst from him so Jack, muttering 'bathroom' to Lucy, walked upstairs and plopped himself heavily onto his bed, thinking about what his life could have been. Though stress had aged him, Jack was only thirty-three. With Troy at seventeen, you can somewhat get the picture.

A hasty wedding. Strong disapproval from both sets of parents. The newlyweds glowing with young love as their son appeared about seven months later. That's all it was. Young love. Nothing more. Just a temporary romance that was never meant to grow into anything. Lucy pregnant, Jack had little choice but to marry her. He knew it wasn't what he wanted, but at the time, he was madly in love with his girlfriend. Now, a gym teacher and making almost minimum wage, Jack had wasted away his life. He'd always felt that his life could have been so much better. If not for Troy. If not for Troy, Jack could have gone to college and pursued his dream of basketball. Jack was actually very average but he thought he was some kind of basketball god or something.

If not for Troy, he could have waited and gotten a better job. If not for Troy, he could have been rich. If not for Troy, he would never have married Lucy. Now, Lucy and he could hardly even talk. It had gotten awkward now that Troy was grown up. He didn't love her anymore, but he felt trapped. If not for Troy, Jack could have met the real girl of his dreams and married her. If not for Troy, Jack would still be in contact with his parents. If not for Troy, he wouldn't be stuck in this crappy house and in this crappy life. That was why Jack hurt Troy so much. It was all Troy's fault and this was his punishment. It was the only way Jack could get his anger out, and what better outlet than punishing the one who was the cause of everything?

If not for Troy, Jack would have had a better life.

How much more Jack, could take of this hellish life, he had no idea, though he knew something had to change. Maybe Troy disappearing was exactly what would change Jack's life forever.

Meanwhile, Troy was lying unconscious in the backseat of a moving van, having absolutely no idea exactly what he could possibly have done to his father to make him hate him so. Right now though, he didn't care. All he was going to focus on when he awoke was getting out and getting back home to where, unknowing to him, his father was wishing him dead.

---Kevin Baylor---

God, why'd did this have to happen today, of all days? Was today cursed? Was he, Kevin, doomed to misery forever, based upon this day? Did Zeke even remember what day it was, wherever he was now? Kevin doubted it. Zeke had been fine at breakfast; usually he was very depressed on this day. With good reason, Kevin didn't want to bring it up with Zeke, he wanted him to enjoy the day while he was still in blissful ignorance of the date. This plan had gone down the drain, now that Zeke was being held hostage; Kevin highly doubted Zeke would be having a good day.

As Kevin pulled into the wrought iron gate, he began to reminisce, unwillingly, to that fateful day, five years ago to the day. There wasn't a day that went by that he hadn't recalled that day, though it seemed easier every passing day for Zeke to block it out.

_"What do you think we should name her, Kevin?" a voice __squealed__ excitedly._

_"I think we should name her after you," Kevin said, turning to his very pregnant wife._

_"Two __Lilies__ would be __confusing__ though," Lily Baylor pointed out, "What if someone called and asked for Lily, and I thought they meant me and I would start talking but __they would__ actually be one of little Lily's friends? What if that happened?"_

_"Well that is a very serious problem. You're right. It would be utter madness to name our daughter after you because phone calls may get mixed up!" Kevin exclaimed __playfully, putting__ his arms to his mouth and inhaling dramatically._

_Lily stuck her __tongue__ out at him stubbornly. She then turned to __the twelve year old Zeke, who__ was eating his pancakes and laughing along with his parents at their argument. "What do you think, sweetie?"_

_"I don't know," Zeke grumbled through his mouthful of __pancakes__. He swallowed and said, "What about Sophie?"_

_"Oh! I love that name! We have to use that Kevin! It's perfect! Little baby Sophie! It's so cute!"_

_"Little baby Sophie Lily Baylor," Kevin mu__sed aloud, "Well, I like it."_

_"Yeah!" Lily screamed excitedly. A moment later, however, a very different scream emitted from her and she fell from her seat at the table to the ground, clutching her stomach and yelling in pain, "The baby! __Kevin!" __The sheer volume and intensity of her screaming indicated the sounds of __someone very close to death, the sounds of someone dying.__ "I think __it's__ coming!"_

_"No!" Kevin knel__t down next to his wife in one fluid __motion, "She's not supposed to come for another two months! Zeke, call 911! Come on honey, let's go lay down." He was trying to keep his wife calm, delay the birth of their premature child. If she could get comfortable and relaxed… he didn't know what would happen, but it was all he could do. Lily screamed in pain as tears flooded down her pink face. Kevin carried her to the couch and laid her down, speaking softly to her, "You'll be okay. Both of you will. The ambulance will be here soon and you'll both be okay! You have to be okay because I love you too much for you not to," Kevin was crying to__o__ as Lily's continuous screeches penetrated the otherwise silent room._

_"They're on their way, __D__ad! I called them!" Zeke ran over and knelt next to his mother, "Will she be okay? And the baby?" Worry lined his face. His mother had stopped screaming, and somehow, this frightened him __more. __She now lay quietly, trying, but unsuccessfully, to catch her breath._

_"Name her Lily, like you wanted," she whispered to Kevin, his face glistening as tears continued to fall. _

_"No. She's going to be Sophie Lily like you wanted," Kevin looked into her face, suddenly very calm, almost peaceful. She smiled weakly at him. _

_"I love you both so much," she said, almost inaudibly. Kevin shook his head vigorously._

_"No! Don't talk like that. You're going to be okay! I know you are! You and the baby both! You can't d… d…," Kevin's crying turned into sobs, "You can't leave us! We need you! I love you too much!"_

_"I love you Mom," Zeke cried, sensing that there wasn't much time left. He could hear sirens far away and prayed they would come in time. Lily smiled at him. Zeke couldn't contain his sorrow much longer, "They'll be here soon, you'll be okay, Mom," Lily smiled at him and then at Kevin. Her eyes fluttered closed and her breathing slowed to an eventual halt as sirens in the background grew steadily louder._

The leaves crunched from underneath him as Kevin trod up the short slope to the top, where he knelt down and placed the bundle of lilies he had brought.

_Lily __Beatrice Shilah__ Baylor_

_May 1, 1966__- November 26, 200__2_

_Wonderful in every aspect of the word._

_Sophie Lily Baylor_

_November 26, 2007_

_The most beautiful girl to have ever lived, _

_N__o matter how short the time _

_M__ay have been._

Kevin yelled out in anguish as he dropped his head to the ground and howled in grief. He stayed there until well into the night, as if his continued presence would make them come back. He was praying to God that Zeke would stay with him, and not be joining his mother and sister for many years to come. If only he could have him back with him. If only he could have them all back. Why did God hate him? Was this a cruel joke? God, the big kid with his magnifying glass, torturing him to no end. Causing more pain than any person on Earth should ever have to endure. First his wife and his daughter, now his son? How much could one person take? Kevin thought of joining them, but one thing stopped him. What if Zeke came back, somehow, and he, Kevin, was gone. He couldn't let that happen. He would stay and wait for Zeke, for how long, he did not know.

He would stay for Zeke, even though, it seemed, no one would stay for him.

---

**A/n: I would like to say that I won't always take this long to update, but what's the point in lying**** I hope you liked it, despite the fact that there isn't much action. Review please!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n:**** Yeah, I wish I could update faster, but I simply can't. I get side tracked easily and I have school work to do, like everyone else. My chapters tend to be long, so that's probably why it takes so long. I need some ideas of where to have the gang be held hostage. I don't want it in ****Alberquqe but**** I can't think of a place, so if you could help that'd be great. Read on!**

**Chapter Four:**** Cowards, Heroes, and the Occasional Pervert**

---Sharpay---

Sharpay tried to roll over in her bed to get a bit more comfortable. She soon found that she couldn't, so she opened her weary eyes to see what was preventing her comfort. She was lying against a gray wall, her nose pressing into the hard metal. She tried to remember how she'd gotten there. She'd had a dream; but was it a dream? It'd seemed so real. They'd been having drinks at the coffee house. Chad was being obnoxious, but funny. Ryan and Kelsi were arguing about Jason's party. They'd been standing out in the cold for awhile, waiting for Troy and Chad, who upon arrival had acted very suspicious. She tried to remember what had happened next in the dream. Everyone had stopped talking, herself included. She had lain on the table for no reason and just stayed that way. She heard what sounded like a gunshot and then some distant screaming. She had closed her eyes. She supposed the hands moving her were her parents taking her off to bed, like when she'd been little.

These things didn't seem to add up. This wasn't her bedroom. The dream was far too real. Something was wrong. Sharpay couldn't figure out what was going on and so decided to turn over to see what was behind her. Her hazel eyes met those of a complete blue-eyed stranger. She glanced around quickly and assessed that she was in a huge van. All of her friends were there. The man moved towards her swiftly and Sharpay acted on impulse, trying to negotiate only God knows what.

"Who are you?"

The man chuckled and ignored the question as he moved towards her still, brandishing what seemed to be a needle. Sharpay lost her nerves and said, "Get away from me!"

The man only laughed again as he came within a foot of Sharpay, climbing over the unconscious bodies of her friends. Sharpay, looking for a way out, noticed another man with them, sitting right in front of the back doors. By this time she was sitting up and edging back from the man, not knowing what to do. She fell over Zeke's body and screamed as the man lunged at her, needle first. She tried to shield her face with her hands, shrieking the whole time. She could do nothing else. Within a moment, the man had silenced her. Her world swam before her eyes until there was nothing left at all.

---Zeke---

Zeke felt something land on top of him and opened his eyes slowly. His cheek was pressed into the cold hard ground and he realized that Sharpay's body was draped sideways over him. He raised his head, trying to figure out what was going on. Sharpay's body moved slightly and out of nowhere a pair of rough hands grabbed him, causing him to yell out. One of the hands smacked his cheek, knocking him over. He tried to scramble up to see his attacker. He never got the chance. He felt a sharp prick in his neck and he landed right back on the ground where he'd started.

---Gabriella---

Mind spinning, Gabriella tried to comprehend what was happening around her. She had heard Sharpay and Zeke's screams and was now wondering what happened to them. She knew she didn't want to end up like them and so stayed very still. She couldn't remember anything that had happened to her after they'd been talking about their drinks in the coffee shop. She concluded that they must have been drugged somehow. This thought terrified her and also triggered her curious mind. What was happening to them? Who was doing whatever they were doing to them? Why them? Where were they going in this beat-up van? Was this coincidence or was it planned this way? Would she ever see her mom again? Would she and her friends escape from whatever was happening here? Would they all be okay? Would these people kill them?

The more things she thought of, the more questions would arise. Even worse, she had no means of figuring out any of the answers. She was alone with these strangers; her friends all unconscious. Gabriella was sure they were alive; she wanted to be believe they were alive, because she actually had no idea if they were or not. She figured if they were dead, she'd be dead.

So she just lay there, wondering what was going to happen to her. She figured since Sharpay and Zeke had awoken, her other five friends would as well. She squinted through her eyes and saw she was next to Taylor, who was still asleep. Thankfully, Taylor was breathing so Gabriella knew her conclusion had to be right. She felt other bodies around her: someone lying along her head, though she couldn't see who, someone at her feet whom she guessed to be Kelsi, and someone behind on her other side.

She sensed that it was probably Troy next to her, but she couldn't turn her neck without being noticed. Suddenly, Taylor began to stir. Gabriella was looking directly into her face as Taylor awoke. Tay's eyes widened in fright while Gabriella silently told her to be quiet and not to move. Taylor nodded slightly and mouthed, "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Gabriella silently mouthed back.

"Oh my god. Are we being kidnapped?"

"Oh my god," Gabriella and Taylor looked into each other's fearful eyes. Simultaneously, they both began to shake. Gabriella knew they needed to stop, or else they would be noticed. The more she tried to stop shaking, the harder she shook. She knew she would burst soon, as if all the energy built up inside of her was trying to escape.

Taylor eyes widened and then closed quickly; Gabriella followed suit. Unexpectedly, she felt a huge, hairy hand brush her cheek. She suppressed a shudder as the man stroked her hair. She did not dare open her eyes, for fear of seeing the perverted man's gaze on her. Only when his hands began to move south did a violent, involuntary shudder escape Gabriella's body. The man, very displeased, slapped her supposedly unconscious form. Gabriella yelped, giving herself away. At the same time, Taylor, terrified, let out a small whimper. They were both silenced quickly.

Gabriella, already defenseless, spun into a world of blackness, leaving her and Taylor completely vulnerable to the horrible men around them.

---Ryan---

Oh my god! Oh my god! What was he going to do? What could he do? There was no way he could get out! He was trapped! They all were! Ryan remembered all the talks his parents had given him when he'd been younger. He'd laughed at the possibility of something like this happening to him. It was just too improbable! It couldn't happen to him, to them. This just doesn't happen in places like Albuquerque, in coffee shops full of people! This was supposed to happen to kids who were alone, at night, in dark, deserted streets. It just couldn't happen like this!

And yet, Ryan knew it was happening. He felt so powerless, not being able to do anything. He felt so cowardly for not trying. He felt stupid for getting into this mess, though there was nothing he could've done. He felt sore, for he was in an awkward position, his limbs bent at odd angles. He felt just plain crappy! Ryan was very aware of the things going on around him, though he was faced towards a wall and therefore could not see anything. He heard voices coming from the front of the van and voices coming from the back. There seemed to be four kidnappers with them, though he figured there were others, since there were eight teenagers. He assumed there had to be at least eight crooks, though he could be wrong.

Why did he have to drink his entire cup of coffee? He had sensed something was wrong from the moment he'd seen the new cashier. How could he be so damn stupid? Ryan came back to his first thought. What were they going to do?

He lay there for a few minutes, trying to think of some solution, when one of the men began talking. He had a deep, commanding voice.

"We'll have to drug the rest of them soon. The other four should be waking up soon,"

"You want us to do it now?" a slight Irish accent asked.

"Nah, let's have some fun with them. We've still got another hour to kill," The first voice answered evilly. The other man sniggered his approval. From the front of the van, another voice sounded.

"Bobby, when do you want me to stop for gas?"

"Let's get another ten miles out of town,"

"Fine, I'll stop at the next station then,"

"Whatever," Bobby's mood seemed to shift. He seemed sulky, bored. "Do you guys wanna kick them or something?"

"Not while they're asleep," a different man from the front pleaded. He seemed younger than the rest of the men. He also seemed to possess a conscious.

"Fine. Whimp," the commanding voice said childishly.

The talking stopped for a few minutes, during which Ryan waited with bated breath, wondering when he would be discovered. He hoped he could at least hear some crucial information before that time: names, places, plans, etc.

So Ryan just lay there, waiting, all the while feeling extremely cowardly. He didn't know what else he could possibly do.

---Chad---

_Shit!_ Chad's head hurt so badly. He kept his eyes shut tightly, trying to calm his aching head. How had he hurt his head so badly? In less than a second, the past events flashed through Chad's mind and his eyes shot open. He was laying upside down, his back against a cold, hard wall. In front of him, but facing the opposite way, were two men. Chad recognized the bigger one as the one who had been carrying him, and fury rose instantaneously within him. Chad decided to wait a moment before making a move. He looked around to see all seven of his friends there with him. They were all asleep. The rage within him continued to rise. Suddenly, one of the men spoke.

"Good job picking out the girls, Bobby. They're hot."

"I know," an extremely perverted man replied.

"I like this one," the first man said, as if the girl were a trivial object. Chad craned his neck to see exactly who they were talking about. It wouldn't have mattered which girl it was, Chad would have reacted the same way. The fact that it was Taylor just made him much more violent. Chad quietly rolled onto his side, without making any noise, and instead of trying to get out of the now unguarded back doors, he jumped on the bigger pervert.

Chad landed heavily on the man, but was shaken off and was lying on his back. He sprung up again, accidentally kneeing Troy in the head. Chad didn't have enough time to think about this as he sent a left hook punch at the man. This didn't even seem to faze the hulkishly strong man. His rebounding punch sent Chad to the floor, where the other man pinned him. Chad was yelling throughout this entire episode. He tried to wriggle free of the man holding him, but could not. So he tired to aim a kick over his own head to the man behind him. He succeeded in doing an odd backwards somersault, and his kick knocked the man off of him. Unfortunately, the smaller man, Bobby, fell on top of Ryan, who gave a loud yell.

Chad, shocked to hear his friend's voice, turned around, forgetting the huge man behind him. Ryan was flailing around beneath Bobby, trying to get him off and help Chad in his pointless fight. Chad only had a moment to see this, for the next second, he was knocked onto the ground again, this time from behind. His head landed on the heel of one of the girl's shoes. Chad felt something warm trickle along his face.

His world was already swimming away when he felt a sharp prick in his neck. The last thing Chad witnessed was Ryan going through the same fate as him. Ryan's eyes closed, and a moment later, so did Chad's.

---Kelsi---

Kelsi was in short, freaking out. She could not gather her thoughts together. She didn't know what to do. If Chad wasn't able to get out after the fight he'd just put up, how in the world was she going to do any better? Her head was aching so badly. She felt numb. Weather it was from the drugs or her own paralyzing fear she did not know. She could not think straight. What was she going to do? How were they going to get through this? Would they get through this?

Kelsi had awoken during Chad's fight. She had squinted to see what was happening, but that seemed to hurt her weak eyes, so she closed them. Her contacts were burning, so she kept her eyes shielded behind her cool, dark eyelids.

Her head was becoming slightly clearer. They would have to stop at some point. When they did, she would try to sneak away and get help. She didn't know what to do about her friends; they were all unconscious and very unhelpful. As little as she wanted to, she would probably have to leave them. She would try to esacpe at the first opportunity. She cringed slightly as a voice sounded above her.

"Stop here," a voice commanded. The car veered left and stopped. Kelsi felt light hit her eyelids and smelled fresh air. There was a large amount of movement and she thought 'soon I'll be free'. However she was to be disappointed.

"Wait Bobby," the movement stopped. They were out of the van, the doors still open.

"What?"

"Those two haven't woken up yet." The man nodded towards Troy and Kelsi.

"Just drug them then," the voice said nonchalantly. Kelsi heard footsteps going towards and away from the van. She tried to do something, anything, to get away. Her body was completely incapable of moving for reasons Kelsi did not know. All she could do was open her eyes. They only saw the light outside for a moment, because the next second, the man was crouching over. She closed her eyes, as if in doing so, she would shield herself. She hardly even felt the prick in her neck as she fell back into the same unnatural world she had just left.

The same thing happened to Troy, despite the fact that he hadn't even woken up the first time. Troy hadn't done anything at all, at least not this time, yet he was plunged back into the darkness he hadn't even had the chance to leave yet.

A few minutes later, the van and the pickup truck were off again, carrying the freshly drugged teenagers even farther away from their lives. Nothing could be worse than the fate a few of these teens were about to endure, no matter how crappy their previous existence had been. They'd wanted to escape, and now they had. How ironic that in escaping from one horrible life, a new, even worse life was to be gained. This was not true for all of the teenagers. Some of them had great lives. If only they could ever have them again.

**A/n: Sorry the last part was weird. Thanks to all of my readers and reviewers. Tell me which characters you'd like to hear more from, though I'm not usually going to alternate views this often.**

**Review please!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/n: Yeah. My story isn't all that realistic. The teens wouldn't be able to fool around this much if it was real. But sitting in a room, trapped, for an entire story isn't very interesting, so I like my ways better.**

**Chapter Five: No Big Deal**

_Oh god! My head! Ow! What the hell?_ These were a few of the thoughts currently running through Chad's head at the moment. He tried to bring a hand up to his head to rub his temples, but found this was impossible. His eyes snapped open to reveal a horrific scene from the worst nightmare of all the loving parents in the world. All eight teenagers, unconscious, tied to chairs. Chad immediately looked to Taylor, who seemed to be okay. He then surveyed the rest of his friends. Zeke, Gabriella, Ryan, and Troy were faced away from him, so he wasn't able to see if they had been hurt somehow. At least they were all together, and all apparently alive.

Restless, Chad, looked around the rest of the room. They seemed to be in a large storeroom, maybe for a warehouse. There was a small window almost touching the high ceiling, through which a sliver of orange light shone through. Sunset. Wow. They must've been gone for at least six hours then. Running along the ceiling was a very old fashioned heating and cooling instrument. It was big. Big enough to transport the smaller of the group to possible safety. Chad craned his neck to try to see what was behind him. There had to be a door in here. Chad couldn't find a door, but did see some old boxes out of the corner of his eye.

There were no lights in the room, that he could see, and Chad dreaded when night would inevitably arrive. They would only have a small portion of light from the moon, if even that. Chad decided to work out how to get out of this as quickly as possible. These guys were strong and big, but at least they were stupid. Suddenly, Troy began to move. Back and forth. Back and forth. He was swaying quickly. Soon his chair toppled to the ground as Troy had intended. The cheap wood split, and Troy was at least able to wiggle off of the chair.

"You okay, Troy?" Chad asked, chuckling a little; despite the circumstances. Troy head spun around.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Nothin, just tied to a chair; kidnapped. You?"

"'Bout the same." Troy smiled a bit at the casualty with which they spoke. Kidnapped. No big deal.

"So can you get out of the ropes, or what?" Chad asked, nodding at Troy, who was still tied up, but just laying on the ground looking at Chad.

"With what, dude? I didn't bring scissors or anything."

"Oh crap! I completely forgot! I've still got my knife in my back pocket!" Chad tried to reach for the said knife. His hands were tied too oddly. He couldn't reach in and grab it.

"Why exactly are you carrying a knife around?" Troy asked, trying to wiggle over to Chad to help get the knife. His feet and legs were tied. He was having a difficult time.

"I was expecting a visit from Monsieur Rob today," Chad stated simply.

"Monsieur?" Troy asked. "You speak French?"

"That was French?"

"…You didn't use it, did you? The knife?" Troy asked seriously, eyeing Chad.

"Nah. There were too many of them. They would've just brought out their's. I'm fine with just fists. I don't need any blood."

"Speaking of blood… what happened to your head?" Troy was getting behind Chad's chair, slowly but surely.

"I think it was Sharpay's heel. Last thing I remember seeing in the van."

"Van?"

"Yeah. We were all in a big van with a few of the bastards. I tried to… well, I'm not sure what I tried to do. I think I hurt one of them though."

"Congrats! I didn't wake up in there at all… I got the knife!" Troy said excitedly.

"Well, yeah. I noticed now that you've stopped stroking my butt," Chad said playfully.

"Whatever. I'm gonna cut myself loose."

"Fine by me. Hey, are you still sleeping over at my house tonight?"

"How long do you think it'll take for the others to wake up?" Troy asked, ignoring Chad's last remark.

"I don't know. I think this stuff only works for, like, three or four hours. I've been knocked out twice since 11.00 and it looks like at least 5.00 now."

"Good math, dude."

"Thanks. I've had some time to work it out. How 'you doing on the ropes?"

"I think I'm almost done," Troy was wiggling around on the ground, the knife slowly cutting the thick ropes around his wrists. "Do you, by chance, have any idea who these guys might be?"

"Yeah, dude. We're biffles. We go way back," Chad said sarcastically. "No I don't know them! But I think, I _think _they may be kidnapping us."

"Look at you, Chad. All observative today."

"Yeah. I had Wheat Thins for breakfast. Makes me smarter or something."

"I can totally tell the difference. Hey! I'm done with my hands!" Troy wrung his wrists, which were very red. Suddenly, Gabriella's head began to move. Troy looked up. He quickly cut his legs free and then strode over to her and began cutting her loose.

"Okay, dude. Just forget about me. Just go help your girlfriend, before me. Whatever, I get it."

"Shut up, Chad," Troy finished cutting Gabi's hands loose. She was now reaching up to hug him.

"Oh, Troy! What are we going to do? Are you okay? I'm so scared!"

"It's okay. I'm here now. We're all going to be okay. We're going to get out of here. Don't worry about me. Are you okay?" He eyed her thoroughly, looking for some sign of pain, or harm.

"I'm fine, Troy," She stood up, now that her legs had been untied, and hugged Troy more comfortably.

"Cough," Chad said annoyingly. Troy glared at him as Gabriella broke away from him.

"Chad! Are you okay? What happened to you?" Gabi squealed, running over to him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I would just appreciate it if Troy would use _my _knife to untie _me._"

"Nah," Troy started to turn around. Chad sent a murderous look in Troy's direction. "Fine." Troy walked over to Chad while Gabriella made sure all the others were okay. A few minutes later and Chad was standing up. They all moved over to the others and began to untie them or cut them loose.

Soon all five of the others were awake and stretching. Taylor was the second to last to wake. When she did, she rushed immediately to Chad, trying to hold back tears. She didn't succeed. Chad patted her back awkwardly as she sobbed. Everyone else had the decency to turn away and pretend they didn't notice. They just stood there, in each other's arms, whilst she blubbered things no one could understand while he tried to soothe her. Finally, Taylor burst and said the thing they were all thinking.

"What if we don't make it out of here? What if we die?!"

"Taylor, don't say that. We're going to be fine," Sharpay snapped bitterly.

"You don't know that! What if I never see my family again? The last thing I told my mom this morning was that I hated her! I can't never see her again! I don't hate her! I love her!" Taylor began to semi-hyperventilate. Chad held her even closer to his body. She quieted and after awhile, stopped crying.

"Hey, why hasn't Kelsi woken up yet?" Ryan asked nervously, kneeling next to her still unconscious form.

"It's probably nothing, Ryan." Zeke tried to assure him. "She was probably drugged later or something. She'll wake up soon." Zeke was correct. She did wake up within minutes. She was extremely shaky but seemed to be fine after a few minutes of walking around to clear her head. Ryan was walking with her, letting her fragile frame lean on him. She was breathing rather oddly, and her face never fully regained color. Ryan glanced at her worriedly. She was so small. He suspected that the drug dosage was hurting her more than them; for everyone else was fine now. When a bit of color finally showed in her cheeks, they sat down with the others, who were discussing their next move.

"Well, obviously, there's the door," Sharpay said, looking at the big, maple wood.

"Well no shit Sherlock," Taylor snapped.

"Don't get mad at me, this isn't my fault," Sharpay retorted angrily.

"You're right, Sharpay. I'm sorry. I'm just so scared," Taylor said bashfully. Sharpay nodded her forgiveness and they both smiled a little.

"I checked the door, and it's locked. I was thinking we could try to pick it with Chad's knife," Troy suggested. Everyone sounded their agreement with the plan. Gabriella, however, looked confused.

"Why do you have a knife, Chad?"

"Oh, um… no reason," Chad said awkwardly, not wanting to tell any more people about his bully troubles.

"So, you just carry switches around now Ponyboy?" Ryan asked.

"I don't always carry it around. And I prefer Soda Pop," Chad smiled, trying to change the subject a bit.

"Chad, we're serious. Did you know we'd be kidnapped today or something?" Taylor asked, gazing questioningly into Chad's face. He avoided her gaze.

"No. There's just this guy who has found pleasure in beating me up lately. It's not a big deal. I just like knowing I have a little protection if I would really need it. I haven't used it. I swear," he stopped and looked at his friends' horrified faces. "See. I knew you guys would act like this so that's why I didn't mention it. It's not a big deal. I can handle him. Let's focus on getting out of here."

He walked towards the door and began fiddling with the handle, pulling out the knife and twisting it all over. This gave the others time to talk about what they'd just learned. Every once in awhile Chad would yell over to them that it was nothing. They did not listen or even pay attention to him. Taylor was horrified, and already emotional, close to tears again. Sharpay and Gabriella were comforting her as well as each other while Troy and Zeke spoke in hushed whispers. Ryan and Kelsi were walking around again.

Things proceeded like this for a few minutes until Chad announced the door to be unlocked.

"I don't see why we can't go," Sharpay whined. "Girls are just as capable as guys."

"That's not the point, though, Sharpay. We don't want you to get hurt by these guys. They're huge! We know you're strong, but you're nowhere as strong as these guys!" Zeke explained. Sharpay looked like she was about to protest more when Chad cut in.

"Sharpay, there's no use in arguing. We're not letting you come. We're not gonna leave you. Once we find an exit, we're coming right back to get you guys," He nodded to the other three girls. Ryan was also staying behind, in case their kidnappers came back. The more prominent reason he was staying behind, though, was that he was still immensely worried about Kelsi.

"Just be careful, guys," Gabriella pleaded.

"We will," Troy smiled grimly at her. The three boys turned around and left the room.

The next room they were in looked like an office area. There was a desk with chairs facing it. Papers were strewn all over. It almost looked like their principal's office, except for the fact that they could glimpse mountains through the back window. It was beautiful scenery, but the boys didn't enjoy it for long. They strode straight through until they reached the door that led out of the office. This one wasn't locked so it was quicker going.

Now they were in a long hallway, lined with numerous doors on both sides. The teens were proceeding silently until Chad said rather loudly, "Are we in a school or something?"

"I think it's more of a warehouse," Troy whispered.

"I don't know where you got that idea from. This looks a lot like the hallways at school to me," Chad countered, deciding to whisper.

"How many schools have huge adjacent storerooms like the one we just left?" Troy argued. Chad shrugged. Zeke suddenly stopped.

"Do you guys hear something?" Indeed, now that Troy and Chad stopped, they could both hear what seemed to be footsteps. They all looked at each other, eyes wide, not knowing what to do. Hide? Fight? Run? They took too much time and their decision was made for them. At the far end of the hallway, a man rounded the corner, followed by all of his cronies. They quickly saw there were eight all together. The men stopped for half a second when they noticed the three boys. Both sides stood completely still for what seemed like forever. But what in reality was a total of two seconds.

Several things happened at once. The men rushed forward while the teens stood for a moment longer. All three sprung into action a little late. They all went separate ways. Chad went head on towards them, wishing he could just break through them. Troy tried to run around them, and accidentally fell into a door which had been left slightly ajar. Zeke, reacting the latest of them, decided to follow Chad.

All three boys put up a good fight, however short it was. Yet they were all knocked out, again. The same thing happened with the girls and Ryan, but with a lot more screaming. They'd been given much smaller doses than before, and were going to wake up in about half an hour, plenty of time for them all to be tied up again.

_Shit! De ja vu! _Here he was again. Tied up _again_! Chad waited to open his eyes, he could sense someone was watching him, and he knew he didn't want to see who it was. This time Chad was only tied by his wrists. He was slumped against the wall. Where his nice comfy chair had gone, Chad did not know. He could feel someone leaning on him, breathing into his neck. Chad was guessing that it was Sharpay, but it was a total guess.

He knew he would have to open his eyes at some point, and so proceeded in doing so. His eyes directly went to a dark, hairy man, with lanky arms, and the stubble of a black beard. Bobby. The ringleader of all of this. This was the man Chad wanted to hurt the most right now. The man smiled and turned around. He had a really ugly smile, it made him look crazy; which he probably was. Chad heard him say,

"They're starting to wake up now. They should all be up in a few minutes and then we can begin orientation," the other men sniggered.

Orientation? What the hell did that mean? Chad glanced at the other men. They were all bigger than Bobby, but looked much more stupid. If that was even possible. They all looked like complete idiots. Freakishly strong idiots.

Chad wanted to same something insolent, but couldn't think of what to say. He settled with, "Um, who the hell are you and what the hell do you want with us?"

The smaller man laughed and turned to face Chad again. "Yeah kid, I'm totally gonna tell you my full name, so you can somehow tell the police who I am, should you ever get out of here," _Damn._ So he wasn't a complete moron. "And as for what we want with you, well it's kinda obvious, dumbass. We kidnap you, we get ransom money. You guys head on home, maybe." The background men sniggered again. Sharpay had just woken and was now listening silently. Chad couldn't see anyone else without turning away from Bobby.

Right now, he and Bobby were having a staring contest. It was pretty fun. Neither one was backing down. Finally, Bobby broke it. Chad smiled while Bobby growled, "Don't' get on my nerves, kid. I don't have to give you back to your parents alive."

"Whatever, dude you blinked first," Chad was rather enjoying making this evil man mad. It was like Rob all over again. Sure, Chad would probably get hurt worse because of his mouth, but it was more fun this way. And he totally won the staring contest.

"I'm definitely killing you first," the man said murderously. Chad shrugged, making the man furious. By now, everyone was awake; Taylor had just squealed. Chad turned to face her. She looked terrified. Chad tried to give her a small smile, but the look on her face wiped any trace of joy off his face. "Now that we're all awake," Bobby began, "Let's introduce ourselves. I'm Bobby; they are Lou, Joe, Richie, Steve, Hal, Eddy, and Neil.He was talking to them all as if they were the idiots. He had a slight baby talk voice on while addressing them. It was extremely annoying and Chad was about to tell him so when Bobby continued, "Now what are your names? First and last. You first wiseass," he nodded to Chad.

"Why do you get to know our last names if we can't know yours'?" Geez was he in an annoying mood today, or night, as it was now dark. Lights hanging from the ceiling had been turned on. Chad hadn't noticed them before.

"Kid, I'm this close to shooting you," Bobby spread his fingers apart stupidly, "What the fuck is your name?"

"Rob. Rob McGreggory," Chad lied.

"Kid, you're not a good liar," Bobby walked over to Troy and began kicking him. Chad screamed for him to stop. As troy panted on the ground, Bobby obliged and turned back to Chad as. "Now are you going to tell the truth?" Chad nodded.

"Chad Danforth."

"Well, I can see why you didn't want to tell me, it's a pretty stupid name. I wouldn't tell it to people either. I would have changed my name by now. What was going through your dumbass mother's head when she named you?"

"Fuck you." Chad spat.

"Oh, a potty mouth. We'll have to do something about that," Bobby taunted in that same baby tone.

"Fuck you," Chad repeated, not knowing what he should do right now. That's when he remembered his knife. It was still in his pocket. His hands were now tied so that he could actually grab it. His mission in the next few minutes was to distract Bobby so he could cut himself loose. He glanced at Troy, silently asking him for help. From where Tory was sitting, he could see Chad's hands and knew what he was doing.

"Whatever. We'll soap your mouth later," Bobby had evidently gotten bored of Chad and now turned to Ryan. "What about 'you kid?"

"Ryan Evans."

"Thank you for your honesty," Bobby said in a far too polite voice. Using that same voice he turned to Gabriella and Taylor. They told him their names. Next were Sharpay, Kelsi, and Zeke.

"What the hell is a Zeke?" Zeke refused to answer or even look at Bobby.

"Answer me kid," Bobby walked back over to Troy, raising his foot. Troy sat there thinking 'Why am I the punching bag for today?'.

"It's just my name." Zeke said dully. Bobby was displeased with the little amount of feedback he was getting from Zeke.

"So are you two siblings or what?" Sharpay gave a small nod and looked at Ryan. "How sweet,"

Chad was almost finished with the ropes. The adrenaline was building up inside him. He would be able to hurt Bobby momentarily. He was going to wait until Bobby turned his back to spring. He only had a little bit more to cut.

"And finally, you," he addressed Troy.

"Troy Bolton," Troy almost whispered, his side aching from the fresh kicks Bobby had administered.

"Troy Bolton?" Bobby asked quizzically. "Where have I heard that name before?" _Shit._ Bobby must've read that stupid article in the paper. Troy really didn't want him to put the pieces together, but he couldn't think of anything to do.

"Weren't you in the newspaper?" the red headed Hal asked. Troy shot him a dirty look. Why couldn't these guys just be idiots?

"Yeah," Bobby said, remembering. "A few days ago, wasn't it? I thought the name Troy was stupid then too," Troy glared at him, "So did he do it?" Bobby asked curiously. Troy ignored him. "The paper said it was a false alarm or whatever, but from the look on your face, I think you're used to being hit. So Daddy hates you as much as I do,"

"Shut up," Troy snarled, glaring daggers into Bobby's face.

"So I am right," Bobby said smugly, "I get why he does it. If I had a kid like you, I'd beat the crap out of him. I'm gonna beat the hell out of you anyway, so it doesn't matter much."

Out of nowhere, Chad landed on top of Bobby, pummeling every inch of him that he could. Chad was much stronger than Bobby, and was able to hit him as much as he pleased for a total of ten seconds. Chad did not know, nor did he care, that all seven of the other men were rushing over to him. Chad's fun ended with the prick of a needle. He toppled to the ground and silence filled the room.

A few hours later, the teens awoke again. They were all tied up again in their chairs. Everything was the same as before the attempted escape. Except that this time, two people were missing from their group.

**A/n: Long chapter. Sorry. Bad ending too. I know this is so unbelievable, but I have more fun with it. Review please!!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/n: So I am progressively getting more and more bored with this story, but I'd like to get through it, so I'll probably make it a lot shorter than I'd originally planned, unless I stop it all together. Please read my other two stories! I like them a lot better than this one. Review.**

**Chapter 6: So…**

So… where did everyone go? Chad rubbed his soar head as he sat up. The events leading up to his last dosage flew before his eyes. He really wished he had hurt Bobby, maybe even severely. One could only hope. Chad looked around this new room. It had no windows, vents, or any signs of escape, minus the door. It was strangely hot in here, seeing as how it was November. Troy was behind him. Other than that, they were evidently alone.

So… crap. He felt even worse off now that he had no idea where the others were or how they were doing. He knew Taylor would be even more terrified when she woke up. Probably hyperventilating. Chad felt the knife still miraculously placed in his pocket. How much longer it would be there, he did not know.

Eventually Troy woke up, giving Chad someone to talk to. "So… what's up?"

"Let's just get out of here," Troy stood up and headed to the door.

"Okay, okay, no need to get so pissy," Chad too walked over to where Troy was standing.

"Well, Chad, you need to cut it out," Troy spat bitterly.

"What?" Chad asked, indignant.

"You know what. Quit getting yourself beat up. Could you even hear Taylor and the others screaming?"

"I'm sorry," Chad yelled, his temper flaring, "Is this _my _fault? Is it _my_ fault that we're stuck here; that Bobby was close to making you cry? I jumped on him because it was the only way to make him shut up!"

"I was not about to cry!"

"Troy, I saw your face, and you looked close to it. You really can't be doing this now. We'll deal with your dad later, but you can't let him control you like this!"

"Control _me_?! Chad, he knows exactly how to get you to do exactly what he wants! Not by attacking you, but by attacking us! He wanted a response, and you are the easiest person to get one from! Quit making it so easy for him to hurt you!"

"Fine! I won't help you anymore,"

"What, you think just because you were knocked out, it was over? He kept screwing with us for ten more minutes after that! Not me, but Taylor! He used that bastard baby tone and tried to 'soothe' her. She was crying so hard, but you weren't there to help her. No, you had to be an idiot. Now we're separated, and they are alone. So thanks," Troy was panting. They'd both been shouting.

Chad banged his fist against the wall, "What do you want me to do? Just let them do this? Just sit back and watch them kill us? What should I do?"

"Just, control yourself. Restrain from killing him for the time being. He wants you to get mad. So don't, it'll aggravate him more," Troy was getting calmer because Chad seemed to actually be listening and possibly heeding him.

"I'll try,"

"That's all I want."

"So… I'll get us out of here now."

"Thank you." Chad walked over to the door and began picking the lock. About twenty seconds later, the knob began to move on its own. Troy motioned for Chad to get back. Chad obeyed and quickly put the knife in his pocket as he faced the door. Bobby and three other men entered, and Chad had to restrain himself, lest he attack them then and there.

"So, nice nap, boys?" Bobby gave his famous ugly grin. Troy and Chad stayed silent. Bobby was displeased with Chad's new attitude so he said, "You're girlfriend wouldn't shut up, so I shot her."

"YOU WHAT?!" Chad roared, Troy held him back, sensing a bluff.

"Yep. She's bleeding out right now. You're going to follow her if you two don't keep it down in here," he ginned again.

Chad couldn't think. He was numb. He never could tell when people were lying, especially when he was freaking out so much. Troy continued to hold onto him as he screamed random cuss words. Bobby laughed and he and his goonies exited. The door was locked and Troy and Chad were alone again.

"Chad! Chad! Shut up! He's lying. He was just trying to make you mad! He's lying!"

"You don't know that! She could be… I have to get out of here!" Chad broke away from Troy and ran straight for the door. Propelled by his anger, he rammed heavily into it. The wood creaked and Chad yelled, because it happened to hurt, a lot.

"Chad, if you're gonna do that, at least pick the lock," Troy said, no longer yelling. Chad, not wanting to hurt his shoulder again, decided to do as Troy advised and proceeded to pick the lock.

Within a few minutes, they were standing in the same hallway that they'd been in before. They stood, trying to figure out which way their friends were. They had a 50/50 chance, and so went left, because Chad liked left better. Luckily, this was the right way. In thirty seconds, they were swinging the door open. BAM! Chad was knocked over, not by a huge gunman, but by Taylor, sobbing and hugging the life out of him.

Chad held her on top of him, crying silently. Troy was in a similar position with Gabriella, but in the vertical. After a few minutes, Chad gently pushed Taylor so that they could stand. She was still sobbing.

"He said they'd kill you!"

"He said they_ did _kill you!"

"I love you!"

"I love you! I won't let them separate us again! No matter what!"

"Promise?" Chad promised and Taylor was happy. The eight of them got in a big group hug. Taylor wiped her eyes. She refused to let go of Chad. Even I she tried, Chad wasn't about to let her go.

"What's wrong with Kelsi?" Troy's voice floated through the sobs and lovey dovey words. Chad turned to see Kelsi, unconscious on the ground.

"She hasn't woken up yet," Ryan responded, his voice filled with concern.

"She's breathing and everything…" Zeke began.

"But not well," Ryan cut in. He glanced at her as she lay there, motionless.

"How long has it been?" Troy questioned.

"About twenty minutes since we woke up," Ryan said gloomily. "We have to do something. We can't let them keep drugging her. We have to get out."

"Couldn't agree with you more," Chad nodded towards the open door. "But I don't think we can wait long. We really need to get out of here quickly. Is there any way… we could, like, carry her?"

"Yeah, we could do that. If it means getting her to safety, and away from here, I'll carry her to India." Ryan said passionately. Chad just kind of stared at him, not knowing what to say.

"Yeah… so let's get going." The others nodded. Zeke helped Ryan get Kelsi onto his back, piggy-back style, as they exited. This time, they got past the hallways. They entered a huge room. Bigger than the one they'd left. Nicer, too. There were stairs leading up to an office, lined with glass windows. There was also a door directly across the room. They chose to go through here.

Without thinking, Chad swung the door open. He was face to face with the same man who had carried him from the coffee house. Both pairs of eyes widened as the two stood for about three seconds before they reacted. The teens sprinted away. Gabriella was in the lead, and instead of going to the hallway, she went up the stairs.

Zeke was helping Ryan get Kelsi up the stairs. The man had called the others and it was a race to get through the door. Incredibly, all eight teens got through the door and were able to lock themselves in. A moment later, there were at least five pairs of fists pounding on the door, as if the little pigs would let the big, bad wolf in.

The teens sat in a corner, praying that the inevitable would not happen. Sharpay noticed a mini fridge. It contained: ice, some fruit, orange juice, some frozen bread, butter, raw eggs, a few vegetables, and some other miscellaneous items. Because the room was a dead end, the teens had nothing better to do than clear the fridge of all eatable food and drink. It had been almost twenty four hours since they'd last eaten. Across from the huge, glass window was a window that led to the outside world. Why couldn't that window have been _in_ the office? They'd be home free.

The pounding stopped. Silence. Suddenly, a bullet whizzed through the door. Most of the teens were sitting, so the bullet was above their heads. Zeke, who'd been standing, was missed by about two inches.

Before anyone could react, another bullet zoomed in. This one hit Zeke, who screamed in agony and fell to the ground. A pool of blood spread around him, he kicked the ground, howling, clutching his mangled side. He felt like he was on fire. Tears poured freely from Zeke's eyes. The seven teens immediately hit the ground, lying on their stomachs, panicking.

The bullets had broken the lock, and the men entered the room. Sharpay was with Zeke, not knowing what to do. Chad and Troy sprung up, followed by Ryan. The girls edged away, sensing another fight.

Before anyone was able to do anything, two more gunshots sounded. Two more people screamed. Two more gleaming scarlet rings spread around the victims.

**A/n: Suspense! Who is it? Are they dead? Is Zeke gonna die? You'll find out in a few days. Bum, Bum, BUM! -Sorry.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/n: So I'm finally updating. I take way too long, I know. Oh well! Now you get to know who was shot.**

**Chapter 7: Misunderstood.**

--Bobby--

Bobby was merely misunderstood. Sure he'd just shot three kids, but one of them was an accident. It was their own damn fault. He was just trying to get money, why did these bastards have to try to ruin his plans? Why couldn't they just wait patiently until they got the ransom? Why did they continue to try as hard as they could to screw his hard work up? Sure, he'd kidnapped them, but he was planning on letting them go. Truth be told, he really didn't want to kill any of them, except maybe the afro kid; but threatening them seemed to work. He knew if he absolutely had to, he would kill them.

He wasn't the coldblooded killer he presented himself as. He was, however, a killer. They all were. Had been. For years. There wasn't anything they could do about it now. They were dead, all of them. They'd been dead for over ten years. What was he supposed to do? With a record like his, who would hire him? They were all in the same boat; Joe and Richie had only just gotten out of prison. True, they hadn't really taken a break from their lives of crime, but once you start, it's almost impossible to stop.

With a murder on your record, you can't get hired. You can't get money. You can't rent a home. You can't eat. It's worse than actually being in the cozy jail itself. No matter where they went, everyone found out eventually. Then the cycle would repeat and they'd pack up and leave again.

Bobby lay on his cot, looking at the dull ceiling above him. Three others were snoring around him, but he couldn't sleep. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't get a job, a passport, or an education. He was stuck. It was either get enough money to make a living off bribery or crack dealing or some other illegal act, or just end it all together.

What did these kids expect, that he'd just hand them back over, penniless, canceling out all of the effort he'd put in? Was he supposed to go back to jail? Bobby shuddered at the thought. It had benefits: a warm place to sleep, plenty of exercise, and three square meals a day. It was a lot better than this hellhole, where he had to constantly babysit the bastards who just had to try to run away.

They'd probably stay in line now, though. Just like he had to stay in line when he was imprisoned against his will. In jail, there's no freedom. You have everything you need, but nothing else. The only people who would visit him were in there with him. He had no more family, besides Eddy of course, but the kid was too soft for Bobby's liking. In prison, smarts didn't matter in the slightest to the fuckers in there. Who cares if he skipped a grade and was in honors everything in college? No one. The only thing that mattered in there was strength and height.

Bobby was average height, about 5'10, weighed about 190, and had almost no muscle. You can imagine how all the other inmates treated him when the guards weren't looking. It was high school all over again. He was the small nerd while they were the strong jocks. Well, now he was in control. And there was no way in hell he was letting these kids get out and turn him in. He wasn't going back. He was merely misunderstood.

--Chad--

Chad groaned, opening his eyes to the bright lights above him. It was that one moment when you wake up that you can't remember anything that's happened. You're blissfully unaware of everything. Too bad it only lasts a moment.

"Fuck!" Chad's head was so sore, not to mention his foot had almost been blown off. He struggled to get his mangled shoe off his foot. Tears streamed down his face as he finally pulled it off. Dry blood caked his foot. It was mutated beyond belief. If he hadn't known, he would never have guessed this was a foot. Oh, god, this hurt so badly. He bit his lip so he wouldn't moan aloud anymore. This only caused his lips to bleed. A gleaming bullet still lay in the center of his left foot. His entire sports career flashed before his eyes. He would never get that scholarship now. He could never go pro. He could probably never even walk upright again. He knew this was a stupid thing to be thinking about in light of the circumstance, but he couldn't help it. He loved sports. Unbelievable rage bubbled inside him, but he kept it at bay, for now.

He could see bits of white bone sticking out of his foot, splintered by the bullet. He tried to wiggle a toe. Bad mistake. He yelled out; his foot seemed to burn as if it had been plunged into a fire. Fuck! What was he supposed to do now? He looked around. Why was he always the first to wake up? Everyone else was still unconscious.

So they'd shot Zeke, entered the room, and then… Chad couldn't remember. He recalled a blinding white light as he fell. He was guessing Bobby or someone else had shot him in the foot, and then he'd either passed out, or just fell. He'd obviously been drugged, but he didn't recollect that happening. Zeke! Chad's head snapped around as he saw Zeke laying motionless a few feet behind him. Chad quickly dragged himself over to Zeke.

Thank god, he was breathing! Chad looked for the wound, and found the bullet had gone through his right arm, right below the elbow. No more basketball for him either. God, why did he keep thinking about sports when he and Zeke had been shot? Since there was really nothing that Chad could do for Zeke, he simply tried to make his arm comfortable before moving over to someone else.

Taylor seemed fine, almost like she was sleeping. He quickly checked on everyone else, making sure to keep his foot from touching anything. It hurt like hell anyway, so why not make sure everyone else was okay? Kelsi's breathing was ragged, but she seemed okay. Had she even woken up before? Chad couldn't remember. Troy was the farthest from Chad and so he was therefore the last Chad visited. As Chad dragged himself over to Troy he stopped. He then moved as quickly as he could to Troy. His foot was in a similar state. Chad decided to try to get his shoe off for him, if he was unconscious, maybe he wouldn't feel the pain.

Chad was wrong, the pain of him removing the shoe was enough to wake Troy and send him howling. At least the shoe was off. Once Troy had calmed down, they compared wounds. Troy's was closer to his toes, and not as deep. Still, it looked like about three of his toes were completely broken, and he probably wasn't going to be able to walk either. Trying to relieve his foot, Chad laid down next to Troy, 

the pair of them moaning about the pains of bullets in feet. Neither of them felt like moving anymore, so they just lay, discussing what they could possibly do now.

"Well, we're going to have to find a way to walk," Troy pointed out.

"Yeah, thanks for that," Chad said sullenly. "Maybe we could just crawl away from, here."

"Good plan. There's no way they could ever catch us."

"Can you believe they actually shot us?"

"Well, yeah. They were bound to sooner or later."

"But in the foot, just so we can't get away? That's dirty," Chad grimaced as he looked at his foot.

"Is Zeke okay?" Troy turned his head to see Zeke lying far away from them.

"Yeah, he was shot in the arm. But at least he's alive," Chad responded, glancing over at Zeke.

"Yeah… how's Kelsi?" Troy asked, concerned.

"I don't know, man. We've got to get her out of here though. I don't think she woke up from last time." Worry lined Chad's face as Kelsi continued to breathe harshly next to him.

"God! What are we going to do? They'll just shoot us again if we try to escape, and if we stay here, they'll just torture us. How are we supposed to get out of here?" Troy pounded his fists on the ground. He wished he hadn't, because it was concrete. Great, now his fists and his foot hurt.

"I don't know. Maybe we could, just, wait it out… he said there was a ransom, so if we were to just cool off, and wait until they returns us to our families. I don't know. Just a thought." Chad looked disgusted at his own idea, and shook his head. He rubbed his head again. "Fuck! My head hurts like hell!"

"Maybe you have a concussion or something. You have been hit in the head a lot. You keep, falling over," Troy was unconcerned as he looked down at his foot again. He looked at Chad, "Do you think they'll let us out soon?"

"I don't know, but I'm hungry again. Why can't they feed us?" Chad was bored. When he was bored, he complained about absolutely nothing.

"What do you think our families are doing right now?" Troy asked randomly.

"How the hell should I know? Probably all doing everything they can to find us, I guess," Chad really didn't want to think about his family. The thought of them, probably worried sick about him, made him feel, guilty. He hoped his mom wasn't crying or anything. Annabelle and Teddy hopefully wouldn't know what was going on. Chad randomly thought about Jason's party. Oh well, he could crash his next party instead. Unexpectedly, Zeke started screaming. Chad and Troy quickly turned to him. He was thrashing around on his back; he didn't seem to be awake.

"Mom! Mom no! Please don't go! You'll be okay. You and the baby! You're gonna be okay! Don't leave me! I called 911 and they'll be here in a second! Just don't go! Mom!" Zeke finally snapped out of it. He was sitting up and panting. Sweat lined his entire face, the small beads running down his terrified features. Chad and Troy stared dumbly at him, not knowing what to do.

"Sorry, guys," he said quietly, lying back down. Five years ago. Had he missed the anniversary? He had dreamt it all so vividly, like it had just happened. Chad and Troy seemed to understand how little he wanted to talk about this. Yet he decided to clue them in a bit anyway. "Five years." He grumbled. They understood. They'd helped him through it. God, how could he have possibly forgotten?

Zeke looked at his left arm and gasped. Half of it was covered by blood. It smelled horrible. The smell made his head sway. "They… they shot me!"

"Yeah, we kinda know," Chad lifted his foot for Zeke to see. Troy followed suit. "How's your arm, man?"

"Wow, this hurts. Fuck," Zeke couldn't tear his gaze away from his mangled limb.

"That's what I said," Chad smiled a little. "I guess everyone's waking up now," he dragged himself back over to Taylor, who woke up shortly.

"Oh my god! Your foot!" she screeched, sending Ryan and Sharpay over to investigate. They repeated this with Troy and Zeke. Kelsi still hadn't woken up.

They were all fine. At least they were alive, for now.

**A/n: Ominous I know. Yeah, I'm kind of stuck right now. I really can't figure out how they get out of this, if they even do. Who knows, I might just get bored and kill them all. Yeah, I probably won't do that, but I don't know what to do! Review and give me some ideas!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/n: So I've been seriously busy, so that's my excuse for not updating today. Plus, I'm also using all my free time to reread the Twilight series. I'm so excited about the fourth book in August. Sorry, I'm kind of obsessed. I don't know what do you guys think? Jacob or Edward? I myself am in love with Edward but… your opinion. Anyway, back to this story.**

**What time is it? SUMMERTIME!! It's my freakin vacation! Woot woot!**

**Chapter 7: Time's Up**

"Just leave us alone! Let us go!" Gabriella screamed as Bobby and a few of his goons tortured the already crippled Chad. He bit his lip, trying to suppress the inevitable scream building up within him. Gabriella couldn't help herself; she just couldn't stand here silently while one of her best friends was going through this much pain.

"Yeah, right, like we'll just let you go, after all of the work we've put into this," Bobby sent another kick into Chad. "Believe me; we're trying to get rid of you. But the goddamn police wanna find us before your goddamn parents have to pay the ransom. So, basically, if you wanna blame someone for this, blame them!" he kicked Chad again.

Gabriella was shaking she was crying so hard. Chad hadn't even done anything this time! He hadn't spoken a word; they'd already shot him, why did they have to continuously torture him? She couldn't breathe. Troy put an arm around her, trying unsuccessfully to comfort her. Chad finally screamed, overpowered completely. The sound echoed throughout the room, and Bobby smiled evilly.

Taylor was crying silently next to Gabriella. Kelsi still hadn't woken up, and Ryan was glancing between Chad and her, having absolutely no idea what to do. None of them knew. Zeke held Sharpay as well as Taylor with his good arm. What the hell were they supposed to do here? All eight of them just came in and started beating on Chad. He'd just been lying on his back, nursing his foot.

So if they tried to help him, they'd be beaten as well. They also were at a disadvantage, basically outnumbered. With Kelsi unconscious, and Troy and Zeke injured, there was little they could do but beg for this to stop. Taylor looked over to Gabriella and held out her hand. She gave a small sad smile and grabbed it, squeezing it gently but firmly.

Despite all of this, Gabriella could see one small silver lining. There was a ransom, even if the police hadn't responded yet. There was a possibility of getting out of here, and soon. If only they could just not be injured for the time being. The police would eventually give in or try to set some kind of a trap for these guys. Gabriella could feel it; this nightmare had to be almost over.

Due to lack of reaction, the men finally grew bored and left the room. As if he'd been reading her mind, Bobby turned around and said, "Don't get your hopes up, if we don't get our money, you don't get to leave, alive at least," he smiled malevolently and closed the door. They heard the soft click of the lock.

Chad lay panting on the ground with Taylor trying to comfort him. His face was glistening with sweat and tears. He clutched his head and groaned quietly to himself. After a while he was able to sit normally.

"How long have we been in here?" Sharpay asked after an extremely long silence.

"You know, I think it's only been a day," Zeke answered, his face twisted as he tried to count the hours in his head.

"Seriously? How is that possible? It feels like a week," Troy said, looking out of the small window. The sun was shining brightly outside; it had to be at least 12.00. Strange how much the mind can exaggerate with impatience like this. They'd tried to escape some four odd times, with no success. They had been knocked out or sleeping for hours. Does that mean they'd really only been awake for somewhere around sixteen hours? Longest 16 hours of their lives by far.

"Guys! I think Kelsi's waking up!" Ryan beckoned them over to where he knelt over Kelsi. Gabriella and Taylor wiped their tears away and joined the group, keeping their hands tightly entwined. They formed a loose circle around her, not wanting to suffocate her. Her eyes slowly opened. The teens gasped collectively. Kelsi's breathing was still ragged, but more importantly and more gruesomely, the sluggishly moving eyelids revealed dull yellow eyes beneath them.

Yellow eyes. What did that mean? Gabriella racked her brain for the information that eluded her. She tried to remember some of her health classes that she had taken earlier that year. Yellow eyes were the result of something failing…an organ… Jaundice! Oh my god! Liver failure!

"Oh my god, Kelsi!" Great, she was crying again. She shouldn't' be doing this now; Kelsi needed her to be strong. Kelsi should be the one crying, not her. Did Kelsi even know? Of course she didn't. It's not like she could see her own eyes. She could definitely feel the pain though. That much was plain on her face. Kelsi could only keep her eyes open for a moment, for tears brimmed over and poured down her face too. She clutched her stomach, moaning in pain.

"What's wrong with her?" Ryan yelled, looking at Gabriella and ten Kelsi, and then back to Gabriella. She couldn't talk. She could only shake her head and sob into Troy's shoulder. It was Taylor who answered.

"Her liver," Her small voice quivered, "its failing," They could hardly hear the last word but the look on her face made it plain to less intelligent among them that this was definitely bad.

"What does that mean?" an even smaller voice asked. It was the first time they'd heard Kelsi speak in hours. They all looked sadly at her, not wanting to tell her. She grimaced again.

"It means we really need to get you to a hospital," Sharpay said, remembering how, over ten years ago, her aunt had died of liver cancer. Ryan obviously remembered too, because his entire body was shaking.

"Let's go," he growled so quietly, that no one heard him at first. He tried again. "Let's Go! Come on, we need to get her out of here now!" they stared blankly at him. "Come on! We can't just stay here. If this is happening to her now, it'll happen to us soon enough. So either stay here and take this until we all… or get out of here and get help for her!" He strode over to the door, but stopped. No one would follow him. He glared at them all.

"Ryan," Sharpay said slowly, "What if they shoot us, in worse places this time? What if we do this again and they kill us? I don't think it's a good idea."

"Well, what do you propose we do?" his face was beet red with fury. Why wouldn't they follow him? Or agree with him like they had for Chad and Troy? Where was the fairness in this?

"Well, we could, try the vent or something. I bet a few of us could get out through there," Sharpay suggested; Ryan seemed to be calming down a bit, much to Sharpay's relief. "A few of you guys can lift us up, we can try to crawl and find an exit. Then we could go get help. I don't think Kelsi is in any condition to do this, so she's out. Ryan you could help lift, and if any of you guys feel up to it…"

"Well, duh I'll do it," Chad got up as quickly as he could. "It's just my foot, I can still lift you guys, you only weigh, like twenty pounds anyway," Troy nodded in agreement, also standing. He wobbled slightly, trying to gain balance on his foot. With Gabriella's help, he managed and headed underneath the vent. Zeke, his arm rendering him useless, sat with Kelsi.

They soon found that Taylor was slightly too big. She could fit, but it was just tight enough to make her feel too claustrophobic to move anywhere. She quickly scrambled back out. Sharpay and Gabriella had an easier time and went on into the dark tunnel. Neither one of them could turn around, so if they wanted to go back to the others, they would simply have to shuffle backwards.

They went on in silence for awhile. The vent was cold, hard metal. It started to slope slightly upwards. Sharpay finally broke the silence after a few minutes saying, "God, I'm so worried about Kelsi."

"I know," Gabriella replied behind her. "But she'll pull through, she's strong."

"That's just it, she's not. That's why I'm worried. She won't be able to fight this off very long. My aunt was really strong, but once her eyes turned yellow like that, she only lived two more days. And that was with medication. And it wasn't caused by some poisonous sleeping drug. I don't know how Kelsi will get through this."

"Well, that's why we're doing this, so we can get her the help she needs. You're right. I'm not going to say she'll live. Because she won't if she stays in here. But your aunt was kind of a freak case. Not everyone dies that quickly. Kelsi will probably get through this if we can get out of here."

"You said 'probably'. So you know she could still die even if we do get her out of here," Sharpay whispered. Gabriella was silent. A few moments later, Sharpay announced that there was light ahead. What a relief, the darkness was extremely creepy.

"Shit," Sharpay muttered about twenty seconds later. She had stopped and Gabriella had almost bumped into her.

"What?" she hissed. What else could possibly go wrong?

"It's a long drop out of here," Sharpay stated.

"How long is 'long'?" Gabriella asked, trying to peer over Sharpay's shoulder.

"Like, four story drop long," Sharpay said bitterly, craning her neck to see Gabriella. "Do you think we should try?" She peered through the grate into the sunny surrounding area. Below was concrete that did not look very soft to land on from this height.

"No. Not if it's really that far," Gabriella sounded certain, despite the slight quake in her voice. "We'd be no use if we were paralyzed. I guess we should try another way out. Let's go back." She started to shuffle back awkwardly. The downhill trip took a lot longer.

Towards the end, Gabriella froze. They were making a lot of noise in here, and she hadn't considered the possibility that someone unwanted would be listening for them. Low, gruff voices floated up to them. Some of them were laughing; but she couldn't hear any of her other friends. They were probably knocked out. Sharpay stopped moving too.

"Come on down, ladies," the horribly evil voice of Bobby called. They stayed frozen. He tried again. "Come on down or we'll shoot your boyfriends!" Gabriella could hear the smile in his voice. What was she supposed to do? She looked over her shoulder to see a pair of hairy hands a few feet away, ready to grab her and tie her up.

"One…" it was always so annoying when her mom would do this when she was younger. It hadn't worked then, it had just made her more stubborn.

"Two…" God, what if he shot them? Should she go out there? Sharpay couldn't do anything unless she did. She turned her head forward to see Sharpay's big brown eyes lined with tears. She shook her head, but to signal what, Gabriella had no idea.

"Three!" They were trapped no matter what. Going away from these men would end in a four story drop. Going to them would end in further imprisonment. They would probably die in the end anyway. So which risk was worth taking? The drop to certain pain or the drop into the disgusting hands that would eventually hold a gun to her head anyway. She thought she should go to the hairy hand, at least then she could find a later escape. Before she could move, a gunshot sounded. Time up.

**A/n: So this time, someone actually did die. Suspense! I think I'll get the story to go faster now. Wonder who died. Actually I know, but I also know you'll be wondering. Did you know a philatelist is a stamp collector? Just thought you ought to know. Anyway, I'll try to update soon, but I'm not making promises so…**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/n: Mwhahaha. Suspense. Who died? You'll see, but I bet you totally didn't expect it. Do you like my chapter title? (Unfaithful: by Rihanna) I didn't know who I was gonna kill, but I just now figured it out and it's really gonna make the story go faster. Woot woot!**

**Chapter 9: Don't Wanna Be… a Murderer **

"No!" Gabriella screeched. Without even realizing what was happening, she crawled out and was handed down by the dreaded hairy hands. Sharpay followed. Before she could even realize what had happened, she was drugged into that ultra-annoying sleep. The last thing she saw was a pool of blood forming around…

--Ryan--

Drowsily, Ryan sat up. Then he realized what had happened previous to his nap. He shot up like a canon, looking around for her. She hadn't been breathing! She'd had fainted for the umpteenth time and then she just wasn't breathing! He rushed over to her lifeless body. They had been freaking out already before the kidnappers had come in. Oh, god, what if they drugged her again? Oh my god!

Kelsi had her eyes closed. Ryan listened at her mouth for breathing. There was none. In a frenzy, he checked her pulse. Nothing. He clutched her cold, stony hands as he bit back the hysterical sobs battling to overpower him. Her hand was so small. She was so small. She couldn't be… he couldn't let this happen. He had promised to protect her!

Not knowing what else to do, Ryan tried to give her mouth to mouth. He'd learned it last year in a class at their parents' country club. Her mouth still tasted so sweet, kind of like strawberries for some random reason. He began crying.

When was the last time he'd kissed her? Yesterday morning at the coffee shop. He remembered it so vividly. They'd been fighting about Jason's fucking party! How could he be so stupid? Why did he have to be so controlling? Why did he have to try to ruin those last few moments of freedom just because he was jealous? God, he was so madly in love with her. How could he have let this happen?

That last kiss had been so wonderful. They'd been so honest with each other. He loved her so much! He remembered their conversation so clearly.

"_Why are you so jealous of him that I can't go within a twenty foot radius? It's not like I would go try to get back _together_ with him or something. I just want to get back _at_ him."_

"_I am jealous," Ryan whispered softly into Kelsi's ear. By this time, everyone else had broken into different conversations, giving the two their privacy. "I'm jealous, because I'm so madly in love with you. I can't let anyone hurt you. It would kill me. I can't help it."_

"Oh god!" he choked out before collapsing into the sobs he'd been trying so hard to repress. He couldn't breathe. The world faded into blackness. His last thought was 'I love you Kelsi'.

--Chad--

"Ryan! Ryan! Wake up! Come on man!" Chad couldn't think. He'd only awoken a moment ago to witness Ryan falling over on top of Kelsi. Kelsi… no, it couldn't be.

Chad shoved Ryan off of Kelsi, he'd passed out, but he would be okay. Just before the kidnappers had come in, she hadn't been breathing. In their shocked state, they hadn't even put up a fight. She was dead. Kelsi was dead, and there was no way she could ever wake up ever again. There was no way these bastards would get away with this. Kelsi had never hurt anyone. She'd once scolded Chad for almost killing a cockroach. A cockroach! She'd scooped it up and helped it outside.

How could this happen? Not Kelsi! Chad tried to repress his own sobs by turning away. That's when he smelled the blood. Not the old blood that a few of them reeked with, but new, fresh blood. Frozen with fear, Chad's mind went totally blank. No one had been shot… at least not when he'd been awake. Instinctively, Chad went to go make Taylor more comfortable while trying to make sense of the strong smell of blood. It kept growing more and more potent as he neared her. That's when he finally saw the source of the blood…pooling out of Taylor's head.

"NO!" he screamed. He sprinted over to her, despite the horrible pain in his foot. Her blank eyes were open, almost like she was staring right at him. "No!" he croaked out again, collapsing on her. Hugging her so tightly that if she'd been alive she would have been screaming and slapping him. He was choking on his tears. He couldn't breathe. He definitely knew exactly how Ryan had felt thirty seconds ago.

Not her; why her?! He cared deeply about Kelsi too, but _Taylor! _"Taylor!" Chad sobbed until he just couldn't cry anymore. He settled with moaning. All alone. After about twenty minutes he quieted.

--Troy--

Without speaking, Troy walked over to Chad. He guessed what had happened the moment he saw who Chad was leaning over. Silently, Troy put an arm around Chad. As if on cue, Chad began crying again. Troy had only seen Chad cry a few times in his life. Once when his dad left; again when he'd broken his leg; thirdly when his uncle had died, and a few times when Rob's gang had severely beaten him. But this was so much worse. Taylor was never coming back and Chad knew it. All Troy could do was pat him on the back.

He couldn't say anything comforting, because there was nothing comforting about this. Kelsi was dead; Taylor had been murdered; and they were still stuck here. God, Gabriella was going to freak out. She would be in worse shape than Chad when she woke up. Troy turned to look at her, lying peacefully asleep. What had happened with her and Sharpay? Well, they obviously hadn't gotten out. They were still as hopelessly stuck here, and Taylor had actually been killed.

Troy glanced over to Kelsi with Ryan draped over her. Wow, she was dead too. How could this be happening? Chad turned to Troy, his eyes red and filled with tears and said, "They're gonna pay for this. I'm not sitting here anymore. They are gonna pay."

"I know, we'll make them pay," Troy said softly. Chad shook his head and said,

"No, you don't understand, I want to kill them for what they've done to Taylor, and Kelsi," Chad was shaking. He pulled out his switch blade and examined it. Troy shook his head and tried to grab it. There was no way he'd let Chad do something this stupid, though the idea did sound appealing to him too. Two of his best friends were dead and he knew they would have to find a way out before these murderers killed anymore of them. But if Chad tired to kill them, or hurt them, then they wouldn't hesitate to shoot him. No one else could die here.

"Chad, they'll kill you…"

"I don't even care anymore! They'll probably kill me anyway! I might as well try to get a few of them out of the picture for you guys! I can't sit here anymore! I have to go," he stood up and headed to the door. Troy followed and grabbed Chad's arm. Chad shook him off, "Troy, back off right now, okay? I'm going to do this, weather you want me to or not," he was quiet, but his tone was normal. Troy could only hear a slight hint of a threat beneath his words.

"Chad, at least wait for the others to wake up, we can do this together," Troy pleaded, but Chad was already jimmying the lock, totally ignoring him. Troy tired again, "Please, do you have any idea how they will feel when they see what you're doing?"

"I can't! I don't want to see Gabriella when she wakes up! I already saw Ryan pass out over there because of Kelsi! I can't watch anymore of that!"

"What? You think I wanted to see you cry? Is that what you think?" Troy said harshly. He just had to make Chad stay. No matter what.

"I'm sorry but my girlfriend just died! Sorry if I made you feel awkward or something," Chad spat. Troy blinked and stepped back. Chad continued, "I don't want to see Sharpay when she sees her closest thing to a sister is dead; or Zeke when he has to console Sharpay. Or Gabi when she sees her best friend in the world is dead!"

"But I don't want my best friend to go out there and get himself killed! Think about us Chad! Think about us. Just wait a little bit," Troy knew he'd won. Chad had stopped playing with the lock and was sliding to the ground, moaning and clutching his head. Behind them, Troy heard more crying. Ryan had woken back up and was still lying over Kelsi, his whole body shuddering due to his sobs.

Chad looked like he wouldn't try to break out again so Troy went over to Ryan to try to help him. Ryan just sat there, bawling. After a while Chad came over began whispering things in his ear, trying to help. Troy assumed he was telling Ryan his plan to kill the kidnappers, and Ryan seemed to be in agreement. Great, another wannabe killer to hold off. Troy wasn't about to let anyone do that. Sure they'd feel better until they got out of here. Or until they died. But when they got out, and Troy refused to think 'if', they would always feel regret.

They would feel empty, because even if they murdered the kidnappers, their friends would still be dead. And they too, would be murderers. No. Troy thought about how he would feel if it were Gabriella. He would probably be out the door by now. He doubted Chad would hold him back; Gabi had always been like a sister to Chad. He would help Troy kill them; but no, it wouldn't be right. They would not be murderers, however much they wanted it right now.

**Author's note: So lots of drama. I tricked you; two people died! And I'm still killing one or two more. **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/n: So… I'm making this all up as I go. I've completely lost all ideas for this. I have as little idea as to how this will turn out as you. Keep that in mind as you read my random ramblings.**

**Chapter 10: 'Cause I'm Broken**

The teenagers were broken. Beyond repair. Two of their best friends had just died. One right after the other. And they were about to follow.

"Troy, I can't sit here anymore! And why should I follow your orders? Who made you leader?" Chad was furious. Troy still insisted that they stay put. Of course Chad understood Troy's reason for not wanting to go face the big scary men with guns; but right now, Chad wasn't in the mood for reason.

Chad couldn't even bare to think about Taylor. They'd moved her to the far side of the room, with Kelsi next to her. What else could they do? Ryan was beside himself. He wasn't reacting the same way Chad was, he just kept crying. Chad, on the other hand, was infuriated beyond belief. He'd never felt a hate so strong within him in his entire life. He felt as if, given the chance, he could actually murder Bobby. It was horrible, but true. Ryan felt no desire to do this. He just wanted to disappear completely.

Gabriella couldn't believe it. She was in denial. For the time being, she forgot Taylor even existed. Her eyes didn't stray to that far corner, as the other's did. She was acting as if nothing had changed. But something, she didn't know what, was nagging her in the back of her mind. She would find out what that something was later.

Troy was just trying to keep Gabriella stable. He expected her to break at any moment, and he wanted to be ready. Taylor and Kelsi had been like family to him. Of course he was taking this hard, but like all emotional things, he pushed it to the back of his mind to be dealt with later. Right now, he had to convince Chad not to go kill or be killed by these murdering kidnappers.

Zeke, who was never too close to either of them, was taking it the best. Not that he didn't care about them or anything; it just wasn't as hard for him as say, Sharpay. He'd experienced the most death out of all of them. He could deal with this. It was no big deal compared to the death of his mother and his sister. Oh god, had he forgotten the anniversary? The tears that welled in his eyes were quickly brushed away; he had to be strong for Sharpay.

Sharpay… Sharpay hadn't spoken since she'd awoken. Her sister, her best friend, no. It could not be. This was not possible. Sharpay, the queen of ice, rarely let herself get close to people. Before this group, she hadn't ever had real friends. She'd just had Ryan. Sharpay knew for a fact that once they were eighteen, Ryan was going to propose. That would have been just what Kelsi wanted. A nice simple life. Married young, with the one she loved for almost her entire life. Too bad her life was over.

Sharpay thought about her bad-mouthing Kelsi to Taylor. Yeah, she'd felt like a third wheel, but she'd had Zeke. Now Ryan had no one. He would probably never find anyone else; he'd been so in love with Kelsi. Taylor had been so helpful though. She'd always been there to listen to Sharpay's trivial problems. She never judged Sharpay; she'd only listened and sometimes given advice.

Besides Ryan and Zeke, Kelsi and Taylor were the only two people who she had ever gotten close to. Who she'd shared secrets with and gossiped. Who she'd cared about. Sure, she like Gabriella enough, but it was so awkward with them that they'd never gotten to be good friends. Now, she had no one, again. Ryan would be there for her for forever. That was all that was keeping her together right now.

Night was falling again. They were all starving. Surely these people would give them food or something? Which would be worse, starving to death or being shot in the head? People could say both, but right now as their stomachs grumbled painfully, most of them preferred instantaneous to slow and excruciating.

--

Bobby had just killed someone. He couldn't deny it. Did he feel remorse? No. Bobby looked normal, but he was in fact, slightly crazy. Going hungry out on the streets could do that to you. Being tortured by your fellow inmates for ten years could do that to you. He could keep a level head sometimes, but every once in a while, he snapped. This was one of those times. The other guys simply followed his lead because they were simply cruel.

Power. It made them feel good. They felt strong, like they were actually in control of something in their lives. It was definitely better then feeling lost and hopeless. Stability suited them, though it didn't often come by. These eight men had no idea what a normal life was like. They'd grown up with a horrible childhood, they'd had a traumatic experience, or they were insane.

Bobby felt immense power right now. He knew they would fear and respect him. This would be easier, because they would fear for their lives now. They would take him seriously now. This was sort of like a game to him. Reality was gone, this was his world. His sick, twisted world.

These were evil men, but one among them was about to crack, and not in the same way as his older brother. Eddy wasn't like them. He didn't hate the world; he believed it could be good, under different circumstances. Bobby was all he'd ever had in life. Six years apart, Bobby had acted as a guardian when their parents had died. Their father, a crazy drunk had first killed their mother, and then on a rampage, had attempted to kill his two boys. Bobby had taken Eddy, who was only three then, and run. Later, they found out that their father had committed suicide that same night.

So they'd been alone. Just two terrified kids. They were able to survive, of course; Bobby had been taking care of himself since he could walk. But from that day on, Eddy did whatever Bobby wanted, no questions asked. But now, he wasn't so sure Bobby was right. That this was right. Yeah, he needed money, but there had to be a better way than this. Those kids didn't do anything to them. Why were they punishing them? What did they do to deserve this?

And now, Bobby had just killed that girl for no reason. Eddy couldn't let this happen anymore. He would have to stand up to Bobby, for the first time on his life, and help these innocent kids.

--

"Guys look," Gabriella pointed to the door, whispering as it creaked open. Chad charged. To do what, Gabriella had no idea. Chad almost got whoever was peering in the door, but a moment before he got there, the door slammed. Before it had closed, someone had slipped two bottles of water and two loaves of bread into the room.

Ecstatic, they ate. Ryan offered to taste test, in case something was wrong with it. It seemed fine. They divvied up the rest of the food and drink. They wished they had more, but it only lasted them a total of three seconds. They were all still starving. Gabriella thought about the Jews in Nazi camps. She imagined they felt kind of like this. She'd seen pictures of some of the survivors who couldn't eat. They looked like walking skeletons. Gabi hoped they could get out of here before it came to that.

Suddenly they all felt very sleepy. Ryan dropped and they quickly followed. The last thing Gabriella heard was a voice that sounded like Chad saying something that sounded like 'fuck' before her world turned into a dark, dreamless sleep.

--

Unaware to the sleeping teens, Eddy poked his head I to see how they were doing. He'd told Bobby he was checking to see if they had tried to escape again, but really, he actually was capable of showing compassion to these kids. He wanted to help them.

One of the other guys had given them drugged food. It was all gone. Eddy would have to remember to either get Bobby to give them more or give them some himself.

He could see the dead girl in the far corner, and the puddle of dried blood where she'd been shot. He shuddered; she'd looked like a nice girl. She was very pretty. Next to her he saw another girl. He didn't remember this girl. Where had she been? Eddy found it odd that the second, smaller girl wasn't anywhere near the others.

Curious and suspicious, he walked over to her. He could immediately tell she was sick. Looking closer, he could tell she wasn't breathing. He backed up quickly, tripping on the kid with the afro. He got out of the room quickly, and only when the door closed did he take his eyes of the girls. They were both dead, and it was partly his fault. They weren't even the annoying ones. They hadn't done anything.

Eddy vowed he would not let any more of these kids die. He _would_ stop this.

**A/n: So this was a pretty boring chapter. Sorry, I know I said it would speed up and it will. I promise. I, myself don't really like this chapter. I'm going to have to end this story soon, because I'm so bored with it. Hope you liked it though.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/n: I'm going to end this story a bit sooner than I'd planned. I think there will be more one more chapter after this one.**

**Chapter 11: Escaping**

"Get up," a rough voice commanded. Chad obeyed without thinking; the drugs hadn't quite worn off yet. He was extremely tired. He couldn't remember where he was right now; his head ached so badly. His first thought was home, but he realized this could not be true. He opened his eyes. It was strangely dark, but they were still in the empty storage room. His head popped up.

"Get away from me!" he pushed the figure who had just helped him up away.

"Kid, listen to me! Calm down! I'm not going to hurt you!" the man held his hands in a surrendering kind of pose. Chad didn't buy it.

"Just leave us alone! Just let us out of here, and then I'll believe you don't want to hurt me!"

"That's what I'm trying to do you idiot!" the man shouted. Chad looked shocked.

"What?"

"I'm going to get you out of here," the man said simply.

"I don't believe you," Chad retorted. This had to be some kind of trick, maybe to separate them again.

"Fine, bye," the man made to walk away. Chad glanced at his sleeping friends, dark masses lying on the ground.

"Why would you help us?"

"Because, no one was supposed to die," the man said quietly. Chad couldn't see the man's face, he had no idea if this man was lying or not.

"Well, too late now!" his temper rose.

"I know, I'm sorry," the man's voice was almost too soft to hear.

"You're _sorry_?" Chad screamed, "They're dead and you're _sorry_?! I can't believe you people!"

"Well, that's why I'm trying to help you, dipshit!" the man yelled back. "Now shut up and help me wake the others up so I can get you out of here."

Chad reviewed his options. He could refuse to do anything; that was if he thought the guy was lying. What if he wasn't though? From his voice, he did sound deeply sorry, but he could just be a good liar. But what if he was just trying to separate them so as to more easily control those who remained? What more could they lose? What might happen if he trusted this guy? They could get out, or be killed trying. Or they could sit here and probably be killed anyway. Freedom looked better.

Chad, ignoring the pain in his foot and his pounding headache, started shaking the dark mass that was Troy, who soon woke up. Troy was as wary of trusting the kidnapper as Chad, but agreed they didn't have many other choices.

"Where are the others?" he asked the man who was in the process of waking Zeke up.

"They wanted to get out of here for a bit. They're buying some more cigarettes and beer. I think we're guaranteed another good thirty minutes if we hurry."

"Could we turn on some lights or something?" Chad asked, rubbing his sore head again.

"How many lights do you need?" the man asked, not even looking at Chad.

"What do you mean?" Chad was really confused.

"Are you okay?" Troy asked concernedly, "There's plenty of light in here."

"Then why is it so dark?" Chad countered. A growing sense of dread was weighing in his stomach. He looked over to Troy, who was a dark figure. He could see everyone's figure, because they were a darker black than his surroundings, but he couldn't see any details in the dark. He assumed it was night.

"Chad?" Troy was really worried now. There was he light hanging from the ceiling. It was a bright, fluorescent thing that was attracted many flies. Troy looked at Chad's face. His normally deep brown eyes had seemed to turn a much lighter shade. His pupils were smaller than normal. A thought entered Troy's head. Chad had probably sustained a concussion. Being knocked out, being punched in the head and falling over could not have helped matters. "Can you see?"

"Am I going blind!?" Chad was getting scared. He could see Troy's outline moving towards him. He saw the man raise his head in his direction.

"Does your head still hurt?" Troy asked, peering into his best friends eyes.

"It hasn't stopped. It peaked a few minutes before we got the food, but it feels better. That must mean its going away, right?" Chad looked hopefully at Troy. "You think it'll go away in a few minutes right?" he was like a child seeking reassurance. Troy didn't know what to say, so he nodded. Chad tired to calm himself. He put his hand to his face, hoping to see each individual finger. He was disappointed in only seeing a dark blob inches from his nose.

About ten minutes later, everyone else was awake. Neither Chad nor Troy felt the need to tell any of them about Chad's newly developed disability. Chad uncomfortably noticed that the figures of his friends seemed to be getting more and more blurred, instead of clearer, like he'd hoped. It somehow kept getting slightly darker as the minutes wore on.

To hide the fact that he could barely see at the moment, Chad wasn't moving around much. He was looking down at the ground while the others were convinced to trust the man, who Chad learned was named Eddy.

Sharpay, thinking Chad was trying not to cry or something, held his hand, which he was glad of as she led him to the door. The plan was to go out one of the back doors. Eddy would point them in the right direction, but could not come with them. He would give the story that they'd escaped on their own, so as to save his own neck. Once in the nearest town, they were to contact the police. Eddy was ready to take responsibility for what he'd done. Hopefully the cops would find and capture them before they'd gone.

Eddy explained how Bobby had basically gone crazy and that if they stayed, he would probably kill them all. If the teens escaped but the kidnappers did as well, Eddy told them that Bobby was not one to give up; he would follow them and try to kidnap them again. Some of the others would follow his lead, but Eddy thought one or two of the other men might not.

Eddy had to get them out of here with a decent head start. He guessed they had about fifteen minutes to get as far away as possible before the others would be back and try to capture them.

They got to the door. Hardly daring to believe this was true, the teens exited. A forest stretched out in front of them. They made their way as quickly as possible, all the time wondering when they would hear the sounds of their kidnappers chasing after them.

--

Eddy watched the kids disappear. A feeling of relief and of fear swept over him. Would Bobby kill him, his own brother, as easily as he had killed those two girls? Eddy thought that Bobby would do anything now. He wasn't the same brother he'd grown up with. It's not like Eddy had ever had great expectations of life, but kidnapping teenagers with his crazy brother? That was below low.

Eddy went to go set up the ploy. He was to knock himself out in the room where the kids had been. Bobby would be furious, but at least he wouldn't think Eddy had let them go.

He turned into the office that preceded the storeroom. The door was open. He stopped when he heard voices.

"How the hell did they get out?" he heard Bobby's voice roar, "Where is that no good ass brother of mine?" Eddy decided it would do no good to hide. He made up his mind in one second. He would have to improvise.

"Bobby!" he panted, as if he'd just run a mile, "I tried to stop them! There were too many! I couldn't handle them on my own! I'm sorry!" Eddy had never been the best liar. He refused to meet Bobby's eyes until after he'd spun the lie. When he did, he saw a look of dawning comprehension on his brother's face.

"You..." He pointed at Eddy, "Did you do this?"

"No, they got past me, I was knocked out in the other room, I only just woke up!" Eddy was beginning to panic. The other men were looking at him strangely, some suspiciously, others pitying.

"Where are your bruises then?" Bobby asked quietly. His voice was too calm.

"What?" Eddy's stomach dropped. Almost all of the other men had at least one visible bruise. Eddy, having stayed out of most of the fighting, did not.

"If they knocked you out or beat you, you would surely have some sign of a struggle," Bobby was still talking abnormally quietly. The other men were starting to realize what he was getting at.

"Did you let them go Eddy?" Lou asked incredulously.

"No, I didn't…." Eddy was starting to stammer. He was shaking.

"I thought I'd taught you better," Bobby raised his arm. Eddy saw a gleaming black gun in his hand.

"No, Bobby, you wouldn't! I'm your brother! Bobby come on! You wouldn't do this! I didn't let them out! Guys you have to believe me," He was begging now. Sweat lined his face; he knew it was no good. He made a break for it.

He felt a sharp blow to his skull before he knew no more.

--

"Let's go get those bastards," Bobby growled, stepping over his brother's body. A few of the men looked contemptuously at their dead friend, as if he'd gotten what he'd deserved. But one or two of the others refused to look at him at all. How could Bobby have done that? To the kids was one thing, but to one of them?

"I'll bet they left through the back door," Lou said as they half-sprinted towards the said door.

"I can't believe the traitor did that," Hal said furiously. "Was he trying to get us all killed or something?"

Bobby was silent. He looked out to the forest in front of them. It had too many trees to use the cars. They would have to follow on foot, and quickly because the kids had a head start. "Come on," he growled.

--

"Chad, come on!" Sharpay yelled, "Why are you going so slowly? They could be coming at any second!" the panic that had risen within all of them over the past few minutes had brought about changes in all of them. Chad was extremely nervous, as he still couldn't see, his vision getting worse and worse. Gabriella was sobbing. Troy was trying to lead everyone but could not keep the panic out of his own voice. Zeke was set and determined to get everyone out of here now, he would feel fear later. Sharpay was talking again, but in a unnerved voice. Ryan was stony faced as he brought up the rear of the party.

"Chad what's wrong with you?" Ryan asked. He'd noticed how Chad had barley looked up once since they'd woken up. It worried him.

"Nothing," Chad insisted, still looking at the ground, "Let's keep moving."

"Chad, look at me!" Ryan was getting really scared now; Chad had just tripped over a huge branch. Chad obliged, he looked up at Ryan, who gasped. Chad's eyes were completely gray now.

"Oh my god, Chad!" Sharpay yelled, also seeing his eyes.

"It's nothing, and don't shout, they could hear you," Chad tried to move forward again but slammed into a tree trunk. "Fuck!" he rubbed his head. Without a word, Sharpay grabbed one arm and Ryan grabbed the other and they led him forward into the forest that he could no longer see.

"Guys, do you hear that?" Zeke had frozen. Everyone else stopped alongside him, turning back to the direction they'd just come from. They too could hear the distant disturbances of the forest. The kidnappers were coming.

**A/n: Bum, Bum, BUM! Suspense! The end is near. Next chapter is last! Review, you've only got one more chance to do it!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/n: So this is it. The end. Oh well. I hope you all liked this story. Review, it's your last chance.**

**Chapter 12: The End**

"Oh, god, oh god!" Gabriella screamed. Troy hugged her close to him as they kept moving. He needed her to keep quiet right now. They were all running as far and as fast as they could. They were slowed by obstacles such as trees and gun wounds… and blindness. Chad was having a really hard time. More than once he suggested they just go on without him, but he was ignored completely.

Troy's foot hurt so badly, but what could he do? They just had to get as far away as possible. None of them had any idea where exactly they were going. They just had to find someone, anyone to help them. Hopefully they could find a town where they could hide and call the police.

Troy tried not to think about the men behind them; but it was hard. The men with guns. Even if they found help, what could innocent people do against seven or eight men with guns? Would they just be handed right back over? Or killed? Troy could feel the end of this journey nearing. He didn't know how, but he just knew it was almost over. He didn't know how it would end, but he was sure it would. Today. Soon.

"Guys! I see an opening up ahead!" Sharpay yelled. It was true, the forest was getting lighter. They were nearing a clearing. All the while they were running, the kidnappers were running faster. They didn't have any handicaps. If just one gunman caught up, they were finished. It was over. Troy briefly pictured their six bodies lying abandoned on the forest floor.

They got closer and closer to the end. They were starting to think they might actually make it out when…

BAM! A gunshot echoed nearby. They could almost hear the bullet zoom towards them. They all automatically ducked. Gabriella screamed, pointing at the dark masses close behind them.

A cold sweat lined Troy's face. Fear swept them all. For a moment they were frozen in place. Another bullet sent them sprinting. Troy helped Chad along, since he was a bit stronger than Sharpay. Gabriella sobbed up front with Sharpay shaking. Zeke tired to lead with Ryan trying to shush the girls.

"Troy, for the last time, I'm just slowing down the group!" Chad was getting really annoyed. If they just went ahead, they could go so much faster. And… he would be all right. He just couldn't stand the thought of them all getting caught because of him. Again, no one acknowledged he had said anything. The clearing was getting closer and closer.

"Come, on guys, we have to go faster!" Sharpay shrieked. They were panicking. _Great._ They stumbled often. They were bleeding from minor cuts and scrapes, but they just kept going. Sharpay couldn't remember the last time she'd run this much. She had a huge stitch in her side but she could've cared less.

The bullet wound in Zeke's arm had opened up again. He was bleeding freely but he ignored it. He was a bit light headed but he just kept going. With Troy helping Chad, he had to lead right now. He had to go the fastest and find the way out.

Ryan was numb. He just couldn't focus. How was this happening? It couldn't be. They were running through a forest with murderous kidnappers chasing them. This was not how he'd planned to spend his week. All he could do was move his legs in the attempt to get away.

Gabriella couldn't stop crying. She just had to hope they would get out of this. If she let go of that hope, she wouldn't be able to go any farther. She just cried to herself and moved forward. She wouldn't look back. And then…

"Stop running you little bastards or I swear to god I'll shoot!" the too familiar voice of Bobby shouted. The teens ignored him and ran faster. Another bullet whizzed by. The men were thirty yards away. The clearing was twenty.

Pushed by strength non e of them knew they had, they got to the clearing. Shock dazed them for a moment. An empty, abandoned road. It was over. They couldn't escape. They were about to die.

The men neared. They too were panting. They looked furious and pleased at the same time. Twenty yards away now. The teens had no strength left. They were about to collapse where they stood, watching the murderers near.

Instinct took over. They saw the men with their guns out. Fear gripped them. They stood frozen to the cold, hard ground. The kidnappers neared, now just ten yards away. Bobby called out, "If you bastards try to run again, I swear I will shoot you all!" and to prove his point, he pointed the gun at them. It was over. They could see in Bobby's face that he was going to shoot them anyway, whether or not they cooperated. And there was no way in hell they were going back to that warehouse.

"Guys! Go! I'll hold them off!" the speaker jumped; a shot sounded and the remaining teens were sprinting again.

--

_**Kidnapped Teens Found at Last**_

_**Their story has gripped the entire nation. After four days of searching, the eight teenagers of Albuquerque were finally found. As you know, they were kidnapped by eight men from a local coffee house in Albuquerque, NM. This is the story the police have pieced together using fingerprints, witnesses and sequencing of data.**_

_**Kidnappers: Bobby Langly, Eddy Langly, Lou O'Byrne, Joe Roger, Rich Tyler, Steve More, Hal Neincamp, and Neil Tulous.**_

_**Kidnapped: Troy Bolton, Chad Danforth, Gabriella Montez, Sharpay Evans, Ryan Evans, Zeke Baylor, Kelsi Neilson, and Taylor McKessie.**_

_**The teens were taken from the favorite local coffee shop at 10.52 a.m. on Saturday, November 25, 2007. Witnesses testified that their drinks were drugged by the employees (kidnappers) of the business. The other occupants at the time were threatened with guns and were forced to immediately leave. The men took the teens in a van that was parked in the back. The police arrived only minutes later and then pieced together what had happened. **_

_**After that? Almost four days of absolutely no news. The parents of the teens pleaded on national television to please bring back their children, but to no avail. The school the teens attended canceled for the week, in light of the circumstance. Terror and anxiety has gripped the country. But it's over now. And I'm sad to say that it is a gruesome ending. **_

_**The teens were given little food and were drugged many times. They were covered with numerous bruises and cuts. This is what we think happened: Kelsi Neilson was killed by an overdose of said drug. Taylor McKessie was shot with a gun with Bobby Langly's fingerprints on it. Eddy Langly was found dead with a bullet from Bobby Langly's gun. We're not exactly sure what happened next, almost a mile away from the first two deaths, but we can guess. We think Chad Danforth wrestled for Bobby Langly's gun. He won and shot Bobby Langly in the chest, killing him. Bullets from the same gun were found in Lou O'Byrne and Joe Roger. All two men are dead. A bullet from the gun of Rich Tyler was found in Chad Danforth's head.**_

_**Next, we found Ryan Evan's finger prints on Rich Tyler's gun. Bullets from the gun were found in both men's stomachs. Zeke Baylor's finger prints were found on the gun that killed Steve More. Zeke Baylor was then killed by Hal Neincamp. **_

_**Sharpay Evans and Gabriella Montez were both found dead with bullets in their chests from Neil Tolous' gun. Because they were found a good thirty feet from the rest of the bodies, we think they were trying to run away to safety. **_

_**Lastly, we found Joe Roger's gun in the hands of Troy Bolton. The bullets from the gun were found in Hal Neincamp and Neil Tolous. Troy Bolton had one bullet in his head and one in his chest from bother men's guns.**_

_**Three bodies were found in the warehouse where the teens were kept by the men. The other thirteen bodies were found on an abandoned road found by an old truck driver. The last thirteen had already been dead for at least twelve hours before they were found.**_

_**Kidnapped Teens Found at Last, but does it really make a difference? We were far too late. Eight innocent lives were wasted. The country has gone into a period of national mourning. The teen's friends and families cannot even begin to cope with all that has happened. The memorial service is Friday night at 6.30.**_

_**Escaping from one life only leads into another.**_

**A/n: I know it's a violent ending. But this was the only way I could think of to end it. I know this story wasn't very good, and I, personally hated the ending, but I'm happy if you liked it. Review!**


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